


Atlantis Rising, Part Two

by CynthiaK2014



Series: Atlantis Rising [2]
Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-22
Updated: 2015-07-22
Packaged: 2018-04-10 17:24:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 18
Words: 63,789
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4400771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CynthiaK2014/pseuds/CynthiaK2014
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The aliens are here and it's time for some horse trading.  Just how much is salt worth, anyway?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Negotiations

**Author's Note:**

> This part was started and finished in 2001 and posted under my name.

Julie Hamilton sat in front of the television and flicked from one channel to another. The hysteria across the nation and the world had grown since the anomaly was first noticed. Every hour brought the ship closer and fed the fears of the populace. Scientists contradicted each other. Newscasters pumped up emotions with ‘unconfirmed rumors’, each one worse than the next. When communications began to intermittently fail, the clamor grew deafening then fell to ominous silence.

Riots in Pakistan.

Bombings in Belfast.

Demonstrations in every large city of the world.

Pillaging and looting in New York.

Her hand shook while she moved up another channel. The only good thing about cable was the ability to change when one network got to be too much to bear. She’d been crying off and on since that horrible phone call from Sam and Toby. Her babies were in danger and it was her fault. She should have insisted that Ruth go to the local hospital. Better yet, she should have turned her over to the police so she could be returned to the insane asylum.

It was all her fault.

The channel she had on showed pictures of the alien ship that was in orbit around the Earth. The newscaster looked solemn and she turned the sound back on.

“. . . confirmed that a smaller ship left the mother ship and headed for somewhere in the arctic circle. We don’t know if this is good news or bad. The closest base to their landing is a small Canadian facility on Victoria Island.” A map appeared behind him with a glowing dot depicting the base and another dot showing the site of the landing. “All communications above the latitude of 60 degrees have been cut off. The nearest American military presence is Elmendorf Air Force Base in Alaska and we’ve heard nothing from them since this morning.”

The terrible keening sound startled her until she realized that it was coming from her. All of them. Ruth had managed to gather them all into danger.

“Honey, you shouldn’t be watching this. They’re making half of it up.” Edward’s strong arm gathered her close and rocked her gently, pushing the mute button on the remote.

“All my fault. My babies . . .” Julie could hardly get the words out. 

“No more so than mine, honey.” Edward’s voice dragged with exhaustion and for the first time in days, she looked at him. 

Really looked at him. She’d been so wrapped up in her own grief and fear that she hadn’t noticed that he’d aged ten years. The panic here in their own town had led to accidents, drunken brawls and psychotic episodes exploding among their friends and neighbors. Edward had worked almost 36 hours straight, catching little catnaps here and there between emergencies at the hospital.

“Honey, we raised good kids. Our boys believe in right and wrong. Men who know their duty and do it.” He pressed a tender kiss to her temple. “They made this decision on their own. All we can do is pray for them and hope that they can overcome what ever these aliens throw at them.”

“I believed her, Edward. She said she wouldn’t take them from me and I believed her.” Julie sagged against his shoulder, beginning to shake with the tension she’d been holding inside.

“Don’t borrow trouble, Julie. At this moment, she may be meeting and defeating the Ikiiri without anyone getting hurt. And I have to believe that Sam is being taken care of by . . . Seth.” Edward looked down at her uncertainly. “When did you know that Sam was attracted by . . . a man?”

She managed a smile at the plaintive note in his voice. “The day Sam told me about Kosovo and their first meeting. The odd thing is that morning I worried about how the family and our friends would react to the news. Now, that’s the least of my fears. If he just comes back safe and sound, I will welcome Seth with open arms.”

“There’s a big age difference there. 12 years is quite a lot.” Edward leaned back against the sofa and pulled her with him. His yawn almost dislocated his jaw. “Gods, I am too old to put in these kind of hours. Is there anything ready to eat?”

Julie sighed and took a moment to just enjoy holding her husband on the couch the way they had for years. Almost, she could forget the danger her boys were in and just concentrate on her beloved. Quietly, she listened to his breathing as it evened out into an exhausted almost snore. Focusing on the steady heartbeat beneath her ear, she dozed along with him.

Afterwards, she could never remember exactly what startled her awake in time to see the television screen go blank and then switch to what looked like the inside of a control room. Sitting up straight and pushing the mute off, she turned up the sound.

It was Ruth.

She held a crystal in front of her, shining with a soft warm glow that lit up the entire room. Julie could see the alien beside her but it didn’t really register because there was Peter, alive and well with the grin on his face that he always wore when he’d won first place.

“Greetings, people of Earth. My name is Ruth. To my left is Major Peter Hamilton of the United States Air Force. To my right is the Queen Mother of the Ikiiri ship that is now orbiting Earth. We have just completed our first trade negotiations with our visitors. I’m sorry about the communication problems but our meeting needed to be held . . . outside the normal channels.” Ruth quirked her lips in the half smile that Julie had become so familiar with.

“There were no casualties in our meeting. None.” Ruth’s eye seemed to be looking right at Julie. “We’ll be coming home shortly so we can pick out another spot for our second meeting. Someplace a tad warmer has been requested. I will be calling for aid in the coming trade talks. Please be ready to help.”

She leaned forward, the black eye patch stark against her pale skin. “Major Hamilton has volunteered to go with the Ikiiri to the mother ship that is now in orbit. He will be Earth’s representative while we work to set up our next meeting. In return, one of the Queen Mother’s sons will accompany us back to Victoria Island to the Canadian base where we started our journey.”

Ruth turned her head and gestured to Peter. 

He stepped forward and spoke directly to Julie. “Mom, I need you and Dad to go with the men who will be arriving shortly. They’ll give you a name that only you and I know. My first dog. They’ll take you someplace safe. We’re all fine and we’ll be together soon.”

Julie was on her knees in front of the TV, her hands touching the electronic image of her eldest son. “My baby. Stay safe, sweetheart.”

The focus returned to Ruth and this time she bowed her head to the alien on her other side.

“Thisss isss a new thought for usss. We ssshall sssee if thisss trade is possssible. Warmer would be better.” The sinuous head hissed into the camera and down at Ruth but Julie could hear the plaintive note that entered her voice with her last words.

“I can promise warmer, Sister.” Ruth chuckled then returned to the monitor. “Please stop the violence and panic that is spreading across the world. There is no need. We are entering a new age for Earth, one that will bring us closer to the stars. Let’s try to adjust without any further mayhem. We’re all adults here. Let’s see you act like it.”

Julie couldn’t help but snort. Ruth had the ‘mother knows best’ tone down almost perfectly. “For now, we’re returning control of the satellites to you. Stop panicking and join in while we plan our future.”

The picture faded and the newscaster reappeared with the oddest look on his face. “Well . . . that was . . . interesting. I’m assuming that everybody heard that announcement . . .”

Julie clicked off the TV and turned to Edward, who was sitting forward on the couch, his eyes glued to the set. “We probably don’t have much time to prepare. Peter’s friends will be here soon. We should probably pack a couple of suitcases with what we’ll need.”

“I can’t just leave, Julie. They need me at the hospital.” Edward ran a hand through his hair.

“Nonsense, dearest. There are other doctors to pick up the slack.” Julie moved towards the stairs, already planning what to take with her. “We can be used as weapons against Peter and the others. It’s better that the government doesn’t know where we are.”

“Good heavens, I never thought of that.” He began to follow her when a sudden roaring sound pulled up in front of their house. Exchanging a bewildered look with her, he changed course and went to the front door. Looking out of the window set in the door, he swallowed so hard Julie could hear it. Joining him at the front, she watched the first bearded biker come up the front steps.

He nodded a greeting to them and said one word loudly so they could hear through the door. “Ranger.”

Julie flicked open the dead bolt and opened the door while Edward was still opening and closing his mouth. “Thank you. Do we have time to pack a few things?”

“Yes, ma’am.” His deep voice seemed to rumble up from his boots. “But you need to hurry. It won’t take them long to track down all the ‘Peter Hamiltons’ in the Air Force database.”

“I understand. We’ll hurry.” Julie smiled at him and pulled her husband along with her. “Dearest, we’ll need to take back packs instead of suitcases. I’ll get our toiletries while you get some clothing together.” She paused and looked back at the front door. “Hot or cold, sir?”

“Hot is what I was told. I’ve got jackets for both of you and helmets.”

Julie nodded and pushed Edward up the stairs. _Soon, my sons, I’ll see you soon._

*************** 

Julie nodded numbly in the back seat of the small Piper Cub. This was their sixth vehicle since they’d left that morning and she wanted nothing more than to just sit somewhere and be still. The motorcycle trip had lasted two hours to the little county airstrip where a helicopter awaited them. Another hour and they were landing in Connecticut where a man picked them up and drove them to Pennsylvania. ‘Call me Spud’ had given them two tickets for the train to Louisville and waved them off.

At the next train station, a woman ticked them off a long list and drove them to the airport where they caught a commercial jet to Oklahoma City. For a moment it seemed they’d been abandoned at the busy terminal then a white haired man had found them and led them to the cargo terminal of the airport where the Piper was waiting. It seemed they’d been moving for days and the only thing keeping Julie going was the knowledge that she’d be seeing her boys soon.

Edward slumped in the seat by their pilot, sound asleep. He’d managed to nap through most of their journey but he had still not caught up with all he’d missed. Her ears popped and she sat up, looking out of the window at her side. They were losing altitude so they must be close to landing. Shifting uncomfortably, she decided that her rear end had gone numb and she wanted to stretch so badly it was a physical ache.

Soon. Soon she’d be reunited with her sons. That mantra had so far kept her sane. She just hoped that where ever they were had a bathroom because she was going to need one soon. That last cup of tea might have been a mistake. Taking another look out of the window, she saw desert. A low-lying cloud hid the horizon but she thought she saw mountains in the distance. Nevada? Arizona?

They’d gone west and south for hours. Could it be California? Maybe outside of the country - Mexico? The thin white ribbon grew larger as they descended and turned into a landing strip. She breathed a sigh of relief and crossing her fingers, she prayed that this was their final stop.

“Well, guys, we’re here. I know it’s been a long trip but it looks like you’ve got somebody to meet you.” Their pilot nudged Edward who awoke with a snort. They touched down with scarcely a bounce and Julie saw the jeep waiting for them next to a metal shack. A sign hung above the corrugated tin door but the lettering was too faded to read what it said.

A hand waved at them and she squinted to see who it was. Toby. It was Toby with Mei Ling at his side. They were casually dressed in jeans and t-shirts. Julie let go of the fear that had accompanied her for over a week and felt light headed with relief. They were both waving now and Edward waved back, already beginning to unfasten his seat belt. She did the same so when they came to a stop near the jeep and Toby wrenched open the door; he was able to pull his father from his seat and into a hug immediately.

She wasn’t far behind, pushing the seat forward and sliding awkwardly out into the sunlight. Mei Ling helped her down and she hugged her hard, swallowing the lump in her throat that had taken her vocal cords.

“Oh, it’s so good to see you both.” Mei Ling hugged her back. “We weren’t sure just when you’d be able to get away or even if all the connections would work. Wolf planned the whole thing but we didn’t know if it would sync. Communications have been tied up all day so some of the links couldn’t get through to tell us if you made it.”

“Mom, are you okay?” Toby’s arm was still around Edward’s shoulders.

“I am now. Where are the others?” 

“We’ll show you.” Toby waved at their pilot who’d off loaded their back packs and had started to move the plane closer to a ramshackle hangar. “There’s a kind of primitive toilet if you need one.”

“Good heavens, yes.” Julie sighed and Mei Ling laughingly led her to the compost toilet beside the metal shack. Having taken care of her most pressing need, she came back out to the jeep and got her own hug from her youngest while Edward used the facilities.

“Where’s Sam and when will Peter be back?” She watched Toby and Mei Ling exchange a quick look before her son answered.

“Sam is coordinating with the Ikiiri healers to make sure neither of our races get sick from each other. Seth is trying to calm down the military that are pretty much going nuts because they’ve been frozen out so far. Peter is on the Ikiiri mother ship and I don’t know when he’s coming back down.” Toby grinned. “He was so excited that he practically floated into their space craft.”

“He’s in seventh heaven.” Mei Ling added.

“I suppose he volunteered?” Julie sighed and welcomed Edward’s arm around her shoulders.

“Yep, so fast it would have made your head spin. Let’s get going, Marag is cooking tonight and I don’t want to miss her lasagna.” Toby helped her into the back seat while Edward climbed in beside her.

“I want to hear about everything.” Julie put a bit of steel into her request so while Toby drove, Mei Ling twisted around and told them what had been happening since they’d seen them last.

The story lasted across country, through a small town and down a dirt road that seemed to lead nowhere. Toby chimed in now and then but by the time they bumped their way down an arroyo and through the mesquite to a series of tents stuck in the middle of nothing, they’d fallen silent. It was their first glimpse of the alien spacecraft, glittering under a canopy of camouflage.

Parking near one of the tents, they got out and stretched.

“Mom!” Sam’s voice came from behind them and Julie whirled, throwing herself into his arms. She hugged him tightly, at a loss for what to say. That damn lump was back in her throat. Edward got his own hug after she loosened her grip. “I’m glad you’re here. Marag just rang the bell for dinner.”

“I’m looking forward to meeting her and thanking Wolf for our journey.” Julie watched her son light up and smile over their heads to someone behind them. Turning, she saw Seth and another officer crossing the compound.

“Father Adam, I’d like you to meet my parents, Julie and Edward Hamilton. Mom, this is Father Adam Benson, the Canadian officer who went with us to the Arctic.”

Julie shook hands with the priest while Edward offered his hand to Seth. She heard Sam sigh in relief and she split her smile between them. Biding her time, Julie chatted with the dark haired officer until she had the chance to hug the man who’d stolen her son’s heart. Seth murmured a thank you and she hugged him tighter.

“Ah, Trisston, are you joining us in the dining tent?” Sam spoke again to someone behind them and she turned to see one of the aliens approaching.

“Yesss, SSSam. I am curiousss about thisss disssh called lasssagna.” The tall, purple dragon bent his head down to look at Julie. “You are new?”

“Hello, Trisston, my name is Julie Hamilton and this is my husband, Edward.” She hoped she got his name right.

“Good evening. Thisss isss correct? It isss evening asss sssoon asss the sssun goesss down?” His eyes were multifaceted and glimmered in the twilight.

“Yes, it is evening. Walk with us, Trisston, and we will all taste Marag’s lasagna.” Seth laid a gentle hand on the dragon’s arm.

“Yesss.” He twisted his neck and sniffed. “Thisss way.”

Julie walked with Sam while Edward ambled between Toby and Mei Ling. She watched Trisston walk with a human on each side. A musky odor wafted back to her, a scent she’d never smelled before but reminded her of hand rubbed leather. His tail swished against the ground with a slight hiss and she found herself fascinated by his undulating walk. Except for his tail, he made no sound at all.

Passing a lantern, she watched the light highlight a rainbow effect that rippled down his scales. “How beautiful.”

“They all are, Mom. And as far as I can see, we’re under no risk of contracting some alien plague or killing them off with our bacteria.” Sam’s eyes were warm and she patted the arm he had linked with hers.

“And I’m willing to bet that you want to stay and discover more of their biology?” She made it a question, watching him closely.

“Better than that, I want to be the doctor who goes to the Moon while we’re constructing our base there.” 

“I see.” Julie could hardly catch her breath. “And I suppose you’re first in line for the job.”

“Hope so.” He hesitated. “I know you think it’s dangerous but no more so than dodging snipers in Kosovo or any one of a hundred other hot spots in the world. In fact, it may be safer than our own world right now.”

“I know, son. But the unknown seems scarier somehow.” 

“Here we are. After you, Trisston.” Seth held back the tent flap and the dragon ducked through. 

They entered, heading for the side tables where steam dishes kept the food hot. A tall red head was stirring something back by the stove and Sam led Julie over to her. “Marag, I’d like you to meet my mother, Julie. Mom, this is Marag Campbell, Seth’s cousin.”

“Julie, how nice to meet you.” She put the wooden spoon down to one side and held out her hand.

“The pleasure is all mine, Marag. Is that a Welsh name? Are the Griffins originally from Wales?” Julie shook hands firmly.

“Very good. Yes, we are. The Great-great-great grandparents came over in the 1880’s. Seth and I are second cousins who grew up together.” She was eyeing Julie with a hesitant air.

“Well, we’ve never had any Welsh in our family so it’s about time we did.” Julie met her eyes serenely and watched her relax.

“Seth was there for me when my husband was killed. He’s my very favorite cousin and I’m glad to see his taste is as impeccable as ever.” She teased Sam gently and Julie laughed out loud at his blush.

“Later, we’ll talk more. For now, you need to get some food while there’s still some to get. That Trisston is a bottomless pit.” Marag picked up the spoon and went back to stirring.

Julie turned to see that Edward had fixed a plate for her and was waving for her to join him at one of the tables. She noticed the dragon was using his tail to balance himself at another table with the priest and a longhaired man with a beard. She sat where directed and began to eat. It seemed like forever since they’d eaten more than airplane food.

After the first pangs of hunger were satisfied, she looked around and noted how empty the tent seemed. “Where is everyone?”

Sam looked up from his plate and finished chewing. “There aren’t a lot of us yet. Ruth and the Ikiiri Queen are hammering out an agreement in one of the other tents. We have some people on the way, friends of Wolf and Seth’s unit should be here by tomorrow.”

Julie stopped eating. She wasn’t sure just what it was she felt for Ruth. Now that it appeared she hadn’t gotten her sons killed, Julie didn’t know how she would react when she saw her again. Peter was still a hostage on the Ikiiri ship just as Trisston was here on the ground.

“Mom, I know you thought she was endangering us but we chose to go after her. It was something I had to do and I tried to get Toby to stay behind but he convinced me otherwise.” Sam’s voice was almost a whisper and she could tell that beneath the table he was holding hands with Seth.

“It’s a mother’s duty to protect her children.” She sighed and poked at her green beans with her fork. Looking up, she smiled at Sam and Toby. “And it’s her sons duty to leave the nest and try their wings. I do understand, Sam. I’m just so very grateful that you’re all safe and sound. I promise I won’t hurt Ruth by castigating her for taking you along. I rather suspect she tried to do this alone and you ganged up on her.”

Sam and Toby blushed together, exchanging a rueful look across the table. They went back to eating and Julie listened to their hopes for the negotiations. A small man entered the tent and made a beeline for the food. Marag greeted him with a smile and a tray. Sam excused himself from the table and joined them. 

“That’s Joe, Mom, the street person who took care of Ruth and brought Sam to her. He was a psychologist before he became an alcoholic but she healed him with the crystal and he came with us to the Arctic.” Toby mopped up the last of the sauce with his last slice of French bread. “He’s pretty nice and he sure knows a lot but he’s kind of shy.”

Sam returned and sat down. “Joe says they’re taking a break so he came over to get a pot of tea for Ruth. The Ikiiri Queen has something from her ship but Ruth’s been pretty much existing on chamomile tea for the last few days. She says it’s soothing.”

“Well, she’d be right but she should eat something.” Julie felt a little concerned even though she didn’t want to. “She doesn’t have any reserves to fall back on. Perhaps Joe could tempt her with a tray of food as well.”

“Marag said the same thing, Mom. She’s going to go with him and take some of the stew that’s simmering for the people who’ll be coming in at midnight.” Sam stifled a yawn and it seemed to infect the entire table.

Julie could barely keep her eyes open while she covered her mouth with her napkin. “Don’t do that, Sam. Your Father and I are about ready to drop as it is.”

“I could use a bed. After all the traveling, it feels like the ground is still moving.” Edward smothered his own yawn.

Toby grinned at them. “We got you a tent all set up. It’s cots but when you’re really tired, you don’t care. I slept like a log this afternoon.”

Mei Ling stood up and pushed the bench back a little. “If you’re finished eating, I’ll show you where your tent is and where the port-a-potties are. Water is at a premium here in the desert but there’s some you can use to do a quick wash up in your tent.”

“Where are we exactly?” Julie asked as she arose.

“New Mexico. Roswell, actually. Ruth thought it appropriate since they’re already famous for the ‘Incident’, as the locals call it.” Toby shrugged and Julie began to laugh helplessly.

Her laughter was infectious and they were all chuckling as they headed out into the still night air beneath a million stars. Julie looked up and said a silent good night to her missing son. _God keep you, Peter. Stay safe and come home soon._

******************


	2. Repercussions

Wolf said goodnight to the last of the Marines who’d arrived at midnight. He was going to enjoy talking to Gunnie again after all these years. For the first time since this whole crazy thing started, he began to think they might just pull it off. He stood under the stars near the cook tent and watched them twinkling in the night sky. With very little distraction from the lights of civilization, they glowed in all their glory; seemingly so close he could reach up and touch them.

He realized that if all went as planned, he just might be able to. Shaking his head, he lifted the flap and went in. His eyes immediately found Marag sitting at one of the tables, cradling a cup of something steaming between her hands and talking to Ruth and Joe. He detoured to the coffee maker and poured a cup before joining them.

“Settled in?” Ruth looked as fresh as she had in the Arctic.

“Yeah. Turns out I knew Gunnie from my service days. Odd to think after all these years we might be serving together again.” He blew on the coffee before taking a sip.

“There will be all kinds of adjustments to make in the coming days.” Ruth’s eye stared into a future that only she could see. “We won’t be able to keep the governments of the world at arm’s length much longer. Half of what Terana and I have been going over are the differences in our cultures.”

“There are more similarities than differences.” Joe’s calm voice startled them.

Wolf looked at the small man who’d come out of the shell of alcoholism to reveal an intriguing personality. He didn’t speak often but when he did, his analysis was usually direct and to the point. His early training had proven invaluable with some of the new people being drawn into their cause. The mix of bikers and military had already set a few tremors through their growing community.

“Wolf, are your computer friends enjoying the Ikiiri technology?” Ruth pinned him with her silver eye.

“They may never sleep again. A couple of them have fallen in love with the Ikiiri communications technician.” Wolf grinned. “There seems to be something in their scent that attracts techno-geeks. I’ve noticed it myself.”

“It’s that scent of leather and musk. To balance it out, there’s something in human female pheromones that calm them. Both of those reactions need to be part of the incoming briefing we give to everyone.” Ruth took a sip of tea and nibbled on a cracker.

“I hope that’s not dinner.” Wolf pointed to the plate with half a dozen crackers and several carrot sticks.

“Just a snack to tide me over to breakfast. That reminds me, Marag, how are the supplies holding up?”

“We’re going to have to go shopping sooner than later. The Ikiiri eat more than any three humans.”

“Understood. Terana is going to have one of their shuttles bring down supplies for her people. But they still want to taste our food so whatever order you have planned, I think I’d double it. Now that Seth’s unit has arrived, we’ll have some perimeter security so I don’t have to maintain so much on my own.”

“Is there anything we can do to help?” Wolf hated that so much fell on her shoulders.

“You’re doing it already. Have any of you thought ahead to what happens after these initial negotiations?” Ruth’s eye swept the table.

“I will stay with you.” Joe said calmly, taking another sip of his tea. “You’re going to need someone to take care of the necessities of living. I always rather fancied myself as a ladies maid.”

Ruth laughed out loud for the first time since Wolf had known her. “Joe, that can’t be the height of your ambition.”

“It was ambition that led me to the bottle and having crawled out of that hell hole into the light of day, I won’t go back there. You’re already neglecting yourself in favor of others and it will only get worse as our push into outer space continues. You’re going to need me and I need to be useful.” Joe looked at her calmly and she pressed her hand over his.

“There will be danger, Joe. Not everyone will react so well to the upcoming changes.” 

“I know. But here is where I want to be and the good thing is you won’t have to pay me a cent.”

“Damn. Payroll, I knew there was something I was forgetting. Remind me to offer the Ikiiri translator to the highest bidder tomorrow. That little gem should take care of feeding, housing and paying our expanding community for the foreseeable future.” Ruth took another sip, her eye on the tan canvas wall of the cook tent.

Marag’s hand gripped Wolf’s and he finally let himself look his fill at the beautiful woman who stirred his heart in a way no one ever had. She was tired and the blue smudges beneath her eyes accented that fact but she was smiling at him and he let himself enjoy the feeling of being part of a pair.

“I’m in this for the long haul. There is no way I can leave at this point. My curiosity is too engaged and I need to be a part of the planning.” She said simply to Ruth but her eyes were on Wolf’s face.

He returned a squeeze to her hand. “Me too. The military will want to take this over and I don’t want that to happen. This is a human leap into the future not only a military one. I know how they think but I can also see the civilian side they may not take into account.”

“Agreed. We need committed individuals who can speak for all the constituencies of Earth. And there are many factions. Father Adam, if he will stay with us would be an important link to the organized religions of the world.” Ruth nibbled another cracker.

“He’s pretty anti-Ruth at the moment.” Marag said hesitantly.

She broke into a grin. “Yes, isn’t it wonderful? He thinks I’m either crazy or the anti-Christ. He will keep a close watch on me and object when he feels I’m going too far. You can’t know how valuable I find that endearing little trait. He’s my Doubting Thomas and he will keep me humble. This kind of power is intoxicating and I need someone who will keep me grounded.”

Wolf snorted this coffee and had to have Marag pound on his back. “Are you nuts, Ruth? He could be dangerous.”

“No, he’s not a fanatic, just a man who believes wholeheartedly in his God and the religion he belongs to. He’s not the one I have to worry about. It’s much more likely to be a true believer who I disappoint at some point who will decide to kill me.” Ruth nodded serenely to them.

Wolf held on to Marag’s hand tightly. “How do we guard against that, Ruth?”

“We don’t. I’ve already cheated Death once and he’ll want his just dues soon. It’s why I want us to go ahead quickly. I need to get the ball rolling in a certain direction and be so far down the path, not even my death can deflect it.” Ruth stretched and stood up. “Don’t worry about me, children. I’m a tough old bird and I promise not to go looking for my fate. Good night, I need some sleep if I’m going to address the world tomorrow.”

Joe got up and followed her with a wave to the two of them left at the table. Wolf couldn’t quite believe what he’d just heard. Her voice hadn’t even been resigned just as matter-of-fact as a comment on the weather. “How can she accept that as . . . as . . . as normal?”

Marag sighed. “For the last six months, she’s known inside her secret heart that she was born to fulfill some ancient prophecy and then die. Her grieving of the loss of a ‘normal’ life took place long ago. Now, I think she’s afraid to hope so she’s merely readying her mind to accept the inevitable sooner rather than later.”

“I couldn’t do that.” Wolf shook his head and swirled the dregs of his coffee.

“I think you’re in the middle of the same process.” Marag squeezed his hand, bringing his eyes up to hers. “A year ago you were told you had a year to live but she changed that when she healed you. But you haven’t completely accepted you’re not going to die. It’s why you’ve been holding back from me. I want to be a part of your future. What do you want?”

Wolf closed his eyes and hung on to her hand. _What do I want? Not to die. But now the cancer won’t take me prematurely. I have a future. Then why am I still afraid?_

“I knew the future and came to terms with it but now I don’t know what’s going to happen.” He realized out loud.

“Exactly. Not knowing the future is scary, very scary. But most of us live our lives as if we did know it. Our little routines go on day by day, rarely changing at all and we accept that they will.”

“But Ruth just changed that for herself and the rest of us. By asking a question and accepting the answer. Salt. Who would have believed something so common would turn out to be our ticket to the stars?” Wolf was still processing his feelings.

“Walk me to my tent, Simon. Morning is going to come all too soon.” Marag rose, still holding onto his hand.

Wolf looked at their clasped hands and knew this was one of those turning points in his life as important as the doctor’s visit that told him he was terminal. Smiling, he rose and walked with her into the night.

************* 

“A black out on communication with the alien ship is still in effect. The White House announced this morning that word had been received from the woman known as Ruth. Negotiations are proceeding between the aliens and Earth. Questions have been asked on the floor of Congress about the validity of trade talks between the . . . Ikiiri and Earth when nothing is known of the chief negotiator.”

Snap, crackle, pop.

“The Prime Minister came before Parliament this morning to read to them the text of his conversation with the chief negotiator for Earth. Her name is Ruth and little is known about her qualifications or even how she came to be our link to the aliens.”

Hiss, crackle, piercing wail.

“A reporter for the Chicago Tribune broke the story of Ruth’s background to the world today. Her full name is Ruth Evans and she was born and raised in Illinois. It seems she’s an escaped mental patient who after surviving a terrorist attack told her doctors that aliens were coming to Earth. Even after extensive drug therapy for her schizophrenia, she insisted that she remembered three previous lives in which aliens invaded our world and she fought them.” The radio announcer appeared to be having a hard time believing what he was reading. “Of course, how crazy could she be when aliens did come to Earth?”

Another channel crackled into life.

“The President announced today that Ruth would be addressing the United Nations this afternoon in a live broadcast from their New York headquarters. He said that like her previous appearance on the world’s TV screens, the Ikiiri would simultaneously show her in real time across all time zones. In other news of the day, violence broke out again in Turkey, Uganda and Chile . . .”

Another spin of the dial.

“A winter storm struck the East Coast again, dumping another foot of snow on states still reeling from the blizzard a week ago. Power that had just been restored is out again and shelters are maxed to their limits from Florida to Maine. This weather pattern began the day after the aliens came to Earth and scientists are speculating on whether or not there may be a correlation.”

Wolf shook his head and left the communications tent for Ruth’s. They’d taken to calling it command central and he nodded to the Marine on duty outside the entrance. After their talk in the cook tent a few days before, he’d made sure that Seth knew what Ruth had foreseen. The Marine Colonel had assigned a guard for both Ruth and the Ikiiri Queen. He told them it was just a precaution and Ruth had nodded, accepting it for the excuse it was.

He joined the group around the table. Smiling at Marag, he waited while Ruth listened to the head computer technician, Jamie McGee. He hadn’t had a chance to talk with the group since they’d arrived. They had dived into the Ikiiri computers and not surfaced once.

“Basically, they’re organically grown units programmed directly from the Ikiiri brain. Theoretically, we could do the same if we had access to their memory banks. But better yet, if we could begin to grow our own, they would be 100% human/computer based.” Jamie licked his lips and tugged at an ear. “Frankly, that scares the hell out of me. God knows what would happen if some of the alphabet agencies got a hold of this.”

Wolf hid a smile, remembering a time when he too had been paranoid about the FBI, CIA, NSA and their even more secret cousins. But from what he’d seen in the past month, Ruth would prove to be smarter than any of them. She tapped her pen against the table, her eye unfocused between Jamie and Marag.

“Agreed. Queen Terana has suggested the seed crystal for the Moon Base computers be grown from my memories. At the moment, I have four lives available for the programming and they may come in handy. But that fact needs to be kept to our group. Half the world thinks I’m crazy as a loon and the other half would just prefer me to go away.”

“What does that make us?” Marag smiled down at Ruth.

“The only sane people left on the planet.” Ruth chuckled and ticked another item off her list. “Marag, what about supplies? Did White Sands come through for us?”

“Yes. We had a convoy arrive this morning about the same time the Apaches showed up.”

“The Mescalero tribe? Warriors or leaders?” Ruth wrote a new note on her expanding list.

“Tribal elders requesting a meeting.” Seth answered. “They are looking for jobs.”

“Do they realize the work will be off planet?”

“Yes. They want to know if the entire tribe could go. Men, women and children.”

“Interesting. I’ll meet with them after the UN speech.” She was back to tapping her pen in quick little staccato clicks. “How about the locals? What reaction to our being here has there been?”

Wolf answered since he’d been the last one to go into town. “They’re excited but wary. They’ve been the butt of jokes for years now and are taking the stories with an extra big pinch of salt. So far, nobody’s called the press and announced our presence. I think they enjoy thumbing their nose at the people who have ridiculed them all this time.”

She chuckled. “Good. We’ll try and do something nice for them before we move out.”

The tension in the room zoomed to new heights. Wolf exchanged a quick look with Seth and got a brief nod to confirm his suspicions. They were really going to do it. They were going to leave Earth and move to the Moon. His stomach lurched and he casually gripped his hands behind his back. He hadn’t realized they were so close to moving.

“Queen Terana’s sons have been working overtime and they’ve hollowed out the first half of the base we need. Peter’s been doing a great job directing them in what we’ll need for work and living space. And Seth’s engineers are making sure that once the dome is up, there won’t be any air leaks. The Ikiiri mining equipment beats anything we’ve got.” Ruth watched them all fidget, a ghost of a smile on her face.

“What about taking up furniture and all the things we take for granted?” Sam was rubbing circles into his temples again and his eyes were smudged with fatigue.

Wolf missed her answer while taking in the state of the group. They were all on edge and half of them looked like they hadn’t been sleeping. Watching Ruth watch them, he made a bet with himself that she had already factored in down time for all of them. Part of the problem was they were trying to do the work of a thousand with less than a hundred. Some of the world’s hysteria had subsided when the mother ship moved to the Moon. But there was still an edge of panic that would blossom into full-scale riots if something weren’t done soon to refocus people’s attention.

“Oops, time for my speech. How do I look?” Ruth took a deep breath and Marag brushed some dust off of her black t-shirt. 

“You look fine. Break a leg, honey.” She patted Ruth’s shoulder and they moved with her to the alien ship.

All activity in the camp slowly died away as everyone clustered around the radios wherever they could be found. Queen Terana welcomed them aboard her ship and Trisston stood proudly by her. Wolf had grown fond of the young Ikiiri especially after they learned that he was the Queen’s youngest and much loved. His approximate age in Earth years was seven and he was as curious as any human boy of that age was even though he was bigger than any of them.

He found himself leaning against a wall in the control room, Marag nestled in front of him with his arms around her and her hands over his. Taking a deep breath, he filled his senses with her scent while hugging her close. They’d been sharing a tent for a week even though they hadn’t made love yet. They were in no hurry and there was too much to do. Neither wanted their first time to be rushed so they took their time while sharing warm kisses whenever they were alone.

But the time was coming when they would need . . . more. 

He was looking forward to that moment.

Glancing at his watch, he noted it was almost time for Ruth’s speech to begin. Joe handed her a comb and she laughed as she ran it through her short, spiky white hair. Making some comment that brought a smile to his lips, she gave it back to him. Stretching all over like a cat after a nap, she went to stand in front of the port that would connect her to every piece of communication equipment the world had.

“Greetings, my friends. I’m sorry to have been out of touch with most of you for the last week but as you might expect, we’ve been a little busy. Major Hamilton is currently on the Moon, helping with the construction of a Moon Base where the Earth Patrol will have its headquarters for the foreseeable future. Queen Terana of the Ikiiri has graciously provided the mining equipment to hollow out a base deep within the Moon since she won’t be using it for the mining that she originally intended.”

Pausing for a moment, Ruth looked directly into the port and into the eyes of the world. “I promised you a future but we’re going to need your help to create it. The major governments of the world have agreed to the terms Queen Terana and I hammered out between us. The Ikiiri need certain minerals that we have in great abundance and we need their technology. At the moment, the trade includes the construction of a Moon Base; the training of our pilots in modified space craft; a stabilized worm hole outside Mars orbit; and the technology needed to help us begin to build our own space vehicles.”

“Not a bad trade, I believe. But who will help us build this new future? The men and women of Earth who have always wanted to travel, see the universe, and build the future for their children. The technology is new, nothing like we have ever seen before. So whether or not you’re proficient or all thumbs, if you want to help then we need you to volunteer for one year’s work on Moon Base. We have a page on the Internet at . . . moonbase.org. It holds an application you can fill out. You don’t have to speak English because the form will be translated into every language on Earth.”

“That’s another little gift from the Ikiiri, a universal translator. Something the world has needed for a long time. We put the technology out for the highest bidder and I’m pleased to announce that Sprint will begin manufacturing them within the next month. I’m wearing one of them right now.” Ruth touched the green pulsing gem at her throat. “I look forward to an Earth where we can all speak and understand each other. We may still not agree but we will at least know why. Much divides our people, one from another but we have a chance now to build something together. That’s a future for our children and their children that will endure when we are dust. Together we can do this.”

“It will take sweat and long hours under less than comfortable conditions in the beginning. But the rewards are great and the future bright as we explore our solar system and beyond. Work with me towards this goal and we will grow into the people I know we can be. Thank you for listening. I hope to hear from you soon.”

Ruth stepped back and the port faded into an opaque screen. “Well, we’ll see if that works. Now, I need to speak to the tribal elders and see if we can come to a meeting of the minds. Joe, if you’ll come with me I’d appreciate it. Seth, put Sam to bed before he falls asleep on his feet. Queen Terana has set aside two of the rooms on this ship for our use. Wolf, see that Marag uses the other room. Someone else will be cooking tonight. Right, let’s get this show on the road. Sister, would you like to accompany me?”

“Yesss. What is a tribal elder? Isss it like a clan sssissster?” Terana modified her normal stride to Ruth’s pace as they left the ship.

Seth tried to contain his laughter while Sam blushed bright red. Wolf could feel Marag shaking with silent chuckles within his arms and he was hard pressed to limit himself to a smile. Once again Ruth had thought two steps ahead and prepared a treat for them, the privacy they so sorely needed. An orange Ikiiri named Sorat showed them to the suite of rooms. He demonstrated for them the sonic shower and toilet the rooms shared before leaving them in peace.

Before the outer door closed, Sam was leaning against Seth and chortling into his shoulder. Marag explored both rooms before choosing the one on the left.

“Okay, big guy, I believe I need a little help with my . . . nap.” Her voice dropped into a growl with the last word and Wolf felt it resonate all the way down to his groin.

“Yes, dear.” He said meekly and crossed the room with down cast eyes.

Seth held a laughing Sam up while trying to contain his own laughter at Wolf’s meekness. He heard them until the door slid shut behind him and it was as abrupt a silence as if they’d disappeared. He pressed the panel by the door and when it slid open, he heard them again.

“Um, the sound proofing is impressive. Why don’t you guys take the first shower and let us know when you’re done?” Wolf suggested and let the door slide shut again.

“Good thinking. Look, it’s a robe or something. It smells of the Ikiiri.” Marag explored the room like the cat he’d compared her to earlier, touching and sniffing everything in the room.

Wolf touched the strip of material she held out to him and he sniffed it, running it along his cheek. It felt like micro thin leather, soft and supple with that musky scent he’d come to associate with the Ikiiri. “I wonder if it’s a towel or something. Do we even know how the sonics work?”

“Nope. That’s why I told Seth to take the first one. The way water will be rationed on the Moon, we’d better get used to sonics. I wonder how it works with hair since the Ikiiri don’t have any?” Marag loosened the scarf that held back her hair and Wolf watched it cascade over her shoulders in a mass of red curls.

“Trisston is fascinated by your hair but then so am I.” Wolf reached out a hand to gently curl a lock around his finger.

“I know. But you’re the only one who gets to play with it.” She came closer and leaned against his chest.

They kissed gently, tenderly, knowing there would be an interruption any moment. Wolf deepened the kiss, enjoying the little purr she growled deep in her throat. Marag’s hand moved over his chest beneath his t-shirt and he shivered at the gentle scratch of her nails.

The knock startled them apart and she answered. Seth had another length of material wrapped around him. “Well . . . it’s different. I think we’re going to miss water showers . . . a lot. Have fun, kids.”

“You too, Seth.” Marag stood on tiptoe and kissed his cheek. “Take care of each other.”

“Always, love. You too.” Seth shared a smile between the two of them and Wolf got the message. Mess with Marag and die.

Wolf nodded and brought the towel with him as Marag towed him into the shower. This was going to be fun.

**********************


	3. Onward to Moon Base

Sam snuggled closer to his bedmate, listening to the reassuring beat of his heart and smoothing the dark curls on the broad chest beneath his cheek. He knew they had to get up but hoped for a little more time before he had to open his eyes. Smiling against his lover’s warm skin, he took a surreptitious lick of salty skin 

“We have to get up.” Seth’s voice was sleep roughened.

“Not yet.”

The chest he was snuggled against rumbled under his cheek. “Did that work when you were a kid?”

Sam thought about it. “Nope. I guess we have to get up.”

A warm hand rubbed his back, the calluses on the strong fingers teasing his skin. “Maybe we can talk the Ikiiri into donating a few of these beds for Moon Base. I don’t think I’ve ever slept so well.”

Chuckling, Sam levered up onto one elbow and looked down into amused green eyes. “I don’t think it’s the bed so much as it is . . . us. The last time I slept like this was back at Marag’s.”

“And at Victoria Island when we took that nap.” A little wrinkle appeared on Seth’s forehead. “That could be awkward on Moon Base. I don’t know how open we can be among so many unknown people. I was kind of hoping we could live together.”

Sam shook his head and frowned a little. “I know. I thought the mix of peoples would provide some cover. Part of me was even wondering if we could simply move in and live together as . . . partners.”

“In a more perfect world, Sam, we could. But we’re the same people with the same old prejudices. We’re just moving them out into the stars.” Seth stroked a hand across Sam’s shoulder and down his arm. “Perhaps living and working together over time will ease the fears most people have. I wondered about your father but he seems to have accepted us.”

Sam leaned over and kissed him softly. “A lot of old beliefs bit the dust in the last few weeks. If someone had told me a month ago that I’d meet aliens, take a male lover and move to the Moon, I’d have certified him as crazy. But here we are.”

“Here we are indeed.” Seth deepened the kiss, pulling Sam up to cover him like a blanket. They feasted on each other, still finding new spots that produced shivers or whimpers. Sam shivered when the nape of his neck was stroked and Seth groaned when the skin inside his elbow was licked. 

After a few moments, Sam pulled back a bit. “Seth, you would tell me if I was doing something wrong?”

“Wrong? In what way?”

Sam blushed. “I mean . . . if what we’re doing is enough?”

Seth relaxed and gentled both hands down Sam’s back. “We’re doing just fine. We’ve got plenty of time to learn about each other and expand our repertoire over the next fifty years or so.”

“You’d tell me?” Sam couldn’t quite let his insecurity go.

“If either of us have a problem, I expect us both to mention it.” Seth punctuated his statement with a kiss.

“Yes, Sir!” Sam wiggled slightly and watched those green eyes go sultry.

“I like the way you say that. And if we didn’t have to be somewhere in about 25 minutes, I’d explore a couple of possibilities. But unfortunately my watch says we’ve got a staff meeting over at command central.” Seth rolled them over to their sides and kissed him gently before unpeeling their bodies.

“Another shower?” Sam swung his legs over the side of the over-sized bed and pushed himself up.

“We’d better. Although I have to say that I’m going to miss water showers once we get settled in up there.” Seth led the way into the room between after checking to make sure it was empty. “Remember to keep your mouth closed this time. I thought you were going to hit the roof when you got shocked.”

Sam grimaced and nodded. He had two teeth with filled cavities that reacted to the sonic burst with a stabbing pain that shot him out of the shower stall with a yell. He’d figured it out pretty quickly but he was in no hurry to repeat the experience. This time they just set the controls to a fast wash of harmonics and were back out to redress in a matter of moments.

They made the meeting on time and listened to Ruth’s decision to move the entire Mescalero tribe to the Moon. Sam made a mental note to himself to give everyone a physical before they left. It joined the note about asking his father whether or not his parents would be going with them. And seeing his brother reminded him to get Toby alone and ask him why he was looking so down.

“For now, we’ll need to be ready to visit Moon Base tomorrow. I need to see it for myself.” She hesitated for just a moment then continued on with a laundry list of items that needed doing. Everyone there had another task to add to their agendas before she dismissed them. A look from her kept Sam there when the others left.

She gestured to one of the chairs and joined him. He waited for her to speak, noting the ongoing tension tightening of her jaw and the paleness of her skin. Of them all, she bore the brunt of the decision making and he was willing to bet each problem solved simply multiplied what had to be done.

“We don’t have enough people to do this, Sam. Terana needs to take her salt and head home within the week. She’ll make sure the wormhole is stabilized by then and at least half the base should be complete. With the dome secured so we don’t try and breathe vacuum. Peter is doing the job of five men.” She rubbed her cheek absentmindedly and he caught her hand in his.

“You’ll rub your skin away if you keep doing that.” He teased her, hiding his shock at the icy coolness of her hand. “Is that why the tribe?”

She drew her hand away. “They need a home. I did a healing of all those who came to speak, probably about half the tribe but I need to finish the rest before we leave. They’re dying out, Sam. Diseases, alcoholism and depression are just a few of their problems. I know I can’t save everyone but damn it, I’ve got to try.”

“When you heal with the crystal, how does it work?” He’d wanted to ask her since he’d heard Wolf’s story but there hadn’t been time.

She quirked a corner of her mouth. “I wondered how long it would take you to ask. Your father already quizzed me about it. He saw me do the techies when they came in. All I can say is it’s a question of harmonics. Certain crystals have it but most do not. I have to use part of my . . . being . . . to balance out their bodies. Disease is like a black hole that sucks in all energy and leaves none for healing.”

Sam thought about it for a moment. “Does it harm you when you do it?”

“Very perceptive, Sam. It borrows from me for the initial healing and I must replace that energy soon or even I could get sick.”

“Like you did in Boston?” That illness had bothered him after he came to realize what she was capable of.

“I was ill before I got there and had no way to get to a place where I could feel the earth beneath my feet. With no crystal to focus the healing, I was lost to the raw negative energies of the city. I could have died there if She hadn’t taken a hand and led Joe to me and then to you. She doesn’t believe in coddling her Avatars. I knew that from the beginning. It was a good lesson for me.”

“A lesson that could have killed you.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ve heard of the old saying. What doesn’t kill you, makes you stronger.” 

“I’ve never found that very comforting, Ruth.”

“The truth never is, sweetheart. I try to learn my lessons the first time so I don’t have to repeat them.” Ruth sighed. “For now though, I need to know what to do about Toby.”

He sat up straight. “I knew there was something wrong.”

“Not exactly wrong but certainly disappointing. Your parents will not be going with us. Peter is committed and so are you. Your mother is fighting for Toby to stay home, safe and far away from danger. Mei Ling is on her side. He’s caught in the middle and I’m part of the problem.”

“Damn. I was afraid of that. Mom really came unglued when we all left.”

“She needs to keep him close and even though she’s pleasant to me, I know she feels I’ve come between her and all of you. The knowledge that I was his mother in another life threatens her at a very basic level.” Ruth sighed and went back to rubbing her cheek. “But there is something I can offer him as an inducement to stay in school. I just don’t know if I should.”

Sam thought about his parent’s reactions to all that had gone on. Their world had been torn apart and reassembled with pieces that didn’t fit anymore. Aliens, past lives, government conspiracies and who knew what was to come. His own sexual awakening had surprised him and disconcerted the family. 

“Oh, Sam, I’m sorry to dump this on you.” Ruth clasped her hands in front of her instead of touching his arm the way she usually did.

In fact, she had been keeping her hands at her side or rubbing them against each other both during the meeting and after. The icy touch he’d felt a few moments ago reminded him of what she’d said about using part of her own being to affect a healing. Making an intuitive leap of galactic proportions, he reached over and laid both his hands over hers. She tried to pull them back; her face set in a mask of denial.

“No, Sam. I’m fine. Really.”

“I don’t think so, Ruth. Correct me if I’m wrong but I think you have the ability to transfer energy from one source to another.”

Her eye fell to their clasped hands and her whisper was so soft he could barely hear it. “I try not to, I really do, but I’m like some horrible energy vampire. When I use too much of my own essence, I seem to suck what I need from anyone I touch. It’s so wrong but I can only control it if I stay away from others until I can ground myself in earth.”

His mind raced through all the implications even as her hands warmed and his grew cold. “And what happens if you take too much?”

Her voice was flat. “The power to heal and the power to kill are two sides of the same coin.”

“And what if I know what will happen and offer anyway?” Sam lifted his hands from hers and watched her hastily stand and move away from the table, clutching her arms and shivering.

“It doesn’t matter. Don’t you see? If they knew, they’d be afraid of me.” Her laugh was harsh and joyless. “Well, more afraid than they already are.”

“You represent the unknown future that is happening now. Not in some distant time when we’ll be ready to stride forward, but right here today when all we can seem to do is stumble ahead. Most of us want it and fear it at the same time.” He arose and stood before her, waiting patiently until her eye met his. “I trust you, Ruth. From the beginning, you told me the truth unsparingly. It would be so easy to just let you do everything, make all the decisions and map our moves like some chess match.”

“I can’t do that, Sam. If this is to succeed, our people have to be involved on all levels.”

“I agree. And this level may be a rather restricted one but we need to know when you need us.” He pulled her stiff body against his. “Don’t be so stubborn, Ruth. And for heaven’s sake, don’t be a martyr. Let us help you for a change.”

For one terrible moment, he thought he’d pushed her too far then her body melted into his arms and he heard a sniff from under his chin. He rocked her gently for a while but didn’t protest when she finally pulled away. Scrubbing her face with her hands, she pulled a tissue from her pocket and blew her nose.

“All right, Sam, you’ve made your point. If I need a quick fix, I’ll ask you. Do you think Seth would mind? I promise I won’t take much.” She sent him a hesitant glance. “I find that lovers energies are especially potent.”

He blushed and laughed out loud at the same time. “I’ll be sure and ask him. How could you . . . never mind, I don’t want to know.”

“It’s in your aura, like a lovely green wash of color. The two of you are becoming mirrors of each other’s energy. It’s so beautiful, I wish everyone could see it.” Her wistful gaze was so unlike her normal practical persona, he wondered for the first time if she’d ever been in love. She was such a self contained person it hadn’t occurred to him before that she might have the same needs he had, especially the need to be loved and to love in return.

“Before we got side tracked, Sam, we were talking about Toby.”

“And what were you going to tell me?” The voice from the entrance startled Sam. Toby’s face was set in granite and Sam held back a groan at the well-remembered reminder that his brother could be even more stubborn than Ruth.

“We’re going to be needing some good archaeologists in about two years time. If you stay and continue your studies, you’ll be the right person at the right place to begin the excavation of Atlantis.” Ruth could have been inviting him to a tea party for all the emotion she showed.

Toby returned her gaze, his face a blank. Then color seeped in slowly to his pale cheeks. “You know where it is.”

“Yes. In approximately twenty five months an earthquake will hit the Pacific and thrust the island back to the surface.”

“And I could join the dig?”

“I’m counting on it. You and Mei Ling will be a good team. You’ll make us all very proud.”

“Thank you.” Toby reached out and hugged her so hard she squeaked.

“You break my ribs and I will personally see that Dean Johnson finds out who put the cow dressed in a pink tutu in his office.” Her smile contradicted her threat.

“Yikes, how did you hear about that?” Toby let her go, smiling ruefully. 

“I have my sources. Will you stay behind and make all of us happy?”

The battle was in his eyes, Sam decided. Toby’s twin passions of flying and digging were at war with each other. But the love of the past was going to win, his big brother hoped, which would go a long way to reconciling his parents to his own departure.

“I promise.” Toby sighed but smiled. “If I can’t do both then I guess staying won’t be so bad if I know what’s coming.”

“You can’t talk about it, Toby. I don’t want there to be a treasure hunt before we’re ready to go after my old homeland. It needs to stay between the three of us.” She held up a hand. “I know, I know. You can both tell your SO’s. I’m not idiot enough to think you could keep something this important completely to yourselves.”

“Thanks, Ruth.” Toby gave her another hug. “I’ll go tell the parents. I know they’ve been worried.”

“Well, what ever you do, don’t tell them I had anything to do with your decision. That’s two secrets I need you to keep.” Ruth stepped back and shook a finger in his face.

“You’ve got it. See you later.” Toby saluted his brother and Ruth before dashing out.

“That boy has energy to burn.” Ruth shook her head and moved back to the table to look at her notebook. Turning back two pages, she crossed off Toby’s name. “Now to get back to our deployment plans. Sam, if you’d take charge of the tribe, I’d appreciate it. I’m going to be busy with a few other details.”

“No problem, Ruth, I’ll head over there with Dad.” Sam patted her shoulder and left while she was making more notes.

**************** 

Dawn tinted the mountains pink and flooded the desert with pale light. The air chilled each breath and Sam shivered from within his jacket. Six Ikiiri ships sat waiting to transport the 326 humans to Moon Base and the mood was tense. Sam stood with his family dreading the good-byes that were to come. Toby was silent and he could see the regret in his eyes even though the rest of the family was euphoric at the young man’s decision to stay on Earth.

“You take care of yourself, Sam. And give your brother a hug for us.” Julie smiled with only a slight quiver in her voice. “Tell him to come home for a visit as soon as he can.”

“I will, Mom. But it’s not like he’s been incommunicado for the last week. You talked to him every day.” Sam hugged her tight and felt her arms squeeze him in return.

“It’s not the same, sweetheart. Better than nothing but still not the same.” She stepped back with an approximation of her old teasing tones.

“Keep a journal, son.” Edward held him close, patting his back with the little circles that had warmed him when he was little. “You’re starting a whole new branch of medicine and you’ll need to draw a map for the doctors that follow you.”

“I will, Dad. We’ve had applications from three doctors already so I won’t be the only doctor for very long.” He returned the hug before stepping back and pulling out some papers. “I copied their app’s for you to do some research for me. I didn’t recognize their names but their schools are impressive. I don’t want somebody who’s only reason for going is to make a name for themselves.”

“I’ll get right on it, Sam.” Edward took a quick look at the names then folded and put them away.

“Be safe, big brother.” Toby hugged him next. “Sooner or later, I’m coming up for a visit and I’ll expect the grand tour.”

“You’ve got it, Toby.” Sam dropped his voice to a whisper. “Thank you, Tob’.”

“Yeah, yeah, I’ll study hard and make you proud of me.” Toby’s eyes were bright but he kept his voice teasing.

“I’m already proud of you, little brother. One of these days, you’ll be a famous archaeologist.” Sam punched him lightly in the shoulder before turning to Mei Ling.

She hugged him and her whisper was for his ears only. “I’ll take care of him for you, Sam. You take care of Seth.”

He laughed and dropped a kiss on her cheek. “I certainly will, Mei Ling. It’s a good thing you’re staying here. We’d have had to double our food supplies if you’d decided to go with us.”

She punched him before joining in the laughter. “Just for that, I promise I’ll eat your share of the cookies your mom bakes next.”

The sound of a bell stilled the conversations around them and all eyes turned to the small figure with the shock of white hair. “Time to go, people. You’ve all got your ship assignments. Finish your good-byes and take a deep breath of Earth air. When we get off the ships, it’s going to be Moon air. Those of you who are staying, I wish you peace and safe journey home.”

She jumped down off the chair she’d been standing on and disappeared into the first ship, Joe following her like the Shadow some of the unit members had nicknamed him. Sam turned back to his family and realized it might be months before he saw them again. His mother was silently weeping and he hugged her one last time, stepping away and turning resolutely to his assigned ship.

He had members of the Mescalero tribe to shepherd and he turned his attention to their care. Some of the children had questions and he did his best to answer them while keeping an eye on their elders sitting silently in the ship’s corridors. Their stoicism contrasted with the enthusiasm of their young. Take off occurred before he even realized it. The only warning was a feeling of extra heaviness that passed away in a moment.

The children redoubled their questions and he flagged down one of the Ikiiri healers with whom he’d worked. Korath was a green dragon and he good-naturedly sat down to explain to them what was happening. His syllables hissed but the translator kept his explanations simple. Sam noticed the elders leaning forward to listen as well.

By concentrating on others, he was able to calm the flutters in his own stomach. He tried not to think about what the conditions would be like on the Moon. He’d been so busy learning Ikiiri biology and taking care of the myriad of small accidents that plague any community living cheek to jowl that he hadn’t had time to find out what kind of home he was headed for. 

Sam wondered how Seth was getting on in his ship with his unit and the techies. Sighing, he decided to not think about their living arrangements and the ‘surprise’ Peter had promised him in their last chat. He mistrusted the glint in his older brother’s eye and the little smirk that accompanied the promise. He really should have had a little talk with him in the Arctic but there simply hadn’t been time. Now he was wishing he’d made some time.

Another question distracted him and he sat down by Korath to answer it. Pretty soon he had a little girl in his lap and two little boys on each side. One particularly brave boy was sitting in the dragon’s lap while a little girl was curled in his tail. Holding the solid weight of Dakota in his arms reminded him he wouldn’t be having any children of his own. For a moment the sorrowful feeling made him ache with emptiness. Then his common sense kicked in.

He hadn’t planned on kids anyway except as some amorphous dream that would happen ‘some day’. Sam looked down into dark brown eyes that sparkled with laughter and held Dakota through a fit of giggles. There would always be children to play with and watch grow up into adults. Being an uncle had its compensations. He could always send them home with their parents.

A sudden heavy weight pressed them all into the floor and he realized they must have landed. Checking his watch, he discovered only an hour and a half had passed. Maybe there would be more trips back and forth than he’d thought. One of the kids jumped up and kept going almost to the ceiling. Korath caught him on his way down.

“Gravity isss not what you are usssed to. Walk carefully until you are inssside the bassse. The gravity there isss Earth-like. Are you ready to sssee your new home?”

The ‘yeahs’ were shouted. Getting up carefully, Sam discovered he had a limpet attached to his leg. Dakota held onto his pant leg tightly with her other hand’s thumb stuck firmly in her mouth. 

“Would you like to walk with me, Dakota?” Sam gave her grandmother a reassuring shake of his head.

“Un-uh.” She nodded shyly.

“Okay. Why don’t I carry you then I won’t bounce up to the ceiling like Billy?”

The gap toothed grin and vigorous head shake answered for her. Picking her up gently, Sam held out his other hand to her grandmother, Mary Two Feathers. They walked off the ship together into the giant airlock. Once they were all within, the outer doors closed and the inner doors opened with a slight hiss as the pressure equalized. On the other side of the door, Peter was waiting with Queen Terana.

The smooth gray and green walls, floors and ceiling of the hall welcomed them.

“Welcome to Moon Base.” His brother smiled. “Welcome home.”

Sam smiled when he saw Seth behind Peter, waiting for him. If home is where the heart is then he was indeed home.

*********************


	4. Dream Six

_I walked out onto the surface of the Moon. No breather or suit, I just walked out onto the loose soil of this place I now called home. The sun was coming up over Earth and I stood to watch the Earth go from shadow to the most beautiful blue and green ball. Cloud cover over Europe obscured most of that continent but Africa pulsed with life._

_A bright light flared on the planet and zipped through the space between us to land gently in front of me. For a moment it was the polar bear from the arctic then it morphed into a beautiful woman dressed in a flame red dress that flowed about her shapely figure. Her ebony hair fell loosely about her shoulders._

_“Come walk with me.” Her voice was a low contralto._

_“Yes, ma’am.” I bowed my head to her._

_“Very nice, my Peter. You have built well. Soon, life will come back to my favorite moon and you will have made it possible.” She turned and began to walk towards the horizon._

_“The Ikiiri mining equipment made the task easy. And the Ikiiri crew was a revelation. Their discipline was incredible. I learned a lot from them.” Peter walked beside her almost but not quite touching._

_“And they learned much from you as well. But now, you’ll be joined by your fellow humans and there will be a new set of . . . challenges.” Her smile was inviting._

_“Yeah, right. There are no problems just challenges.”_

_“Exactly, my knight. You have planned well so far but the time is coming when you will not be able to control all the circumstances. And you will have to give up command and accept another’s orders.”_

_“I knew that was coming. In fact, I’m looking forward to it. I’d rather be flying then building, although that’s a very satisfying feeling.”_

_“Yes, you were born to fly and there will much to learn in the coming weeks. But you will need to be wary of some of those who will be coming. Not all will share your passion and their hidden agendas may endanger all of you.”_

_“I know, ma’am. This first grouping is pretty much family but after that will be the ones chosen by their governments. And they’ll be more concerned with taking control than with moving ahead.”_

_“Very good, my Peter. Go to Ruth when you have a question. They can not lie to her but then none of you can.” She cast that silver-eyed glance up at him. “I am a little worried about her. The burden of command is often heavy and she will always chose to go it alone so no other will be hurt. She can be so . . . stubborn!”_

_Peter tried to hold back his laugh but it burst through. “I . . . believe she said something like that about you, my lady.”_

_“Nonsense. I rarely interfere in the lives of my avatars.” She paused and thought. “Much. Maybe a little hint, now and then. Nothing much.”_

_“Yes, ma’am.” Peter met her eyes and saw the twinkle for just a moment._

_“Getting back to why I came for a visit, I need you to watch out for her. She is my most loved daughter but she may be too quick to step into danger if she thinks it will keep you from harm. Her greatest fear is harming another but she knows that is inevitable.”_

_“Many do not share her dreams for humanity.” Peter sighed. “My own parents would keep all of us from any danger even if it meant stagnation.”_

_“Ah, parents never quite let go, my Peter. And sometimes caution is required. But a new age for my human children is dawning and change is indeed inevitable.” She stopped and faced him, one hand coming up to caress his jaw. “Guard yourself and the others, my knight. The enemy may be well hidden. My Bard had it right when he wrote ‘to smile and smile and be a villain’. Be wary and protect my Avatar.”_

_“I promise, my lady, to do my very best.”_

_“No one could ask for more.” She raised up and kissed his cheek gently._

_Then she began to glow, turning into a flame that warmed him even as it arched away from him and sped back to Earth._

********************


	5. Moving In

“Welcome to Moon Base. Welcome home.”

Peter waited while his brother handed a little girl over to an elderly woman. He hugged him tight, only then realizing how alone he’d felt for the last two weeks. Leaving an arm around his shoulder while turning them both towards the chamber where the sorting out was going on, he realized his hunch was right when Colonel Griffin joined them on Sam’s other side. That just made his surprise even better.

“Well, little brother mine, I made sure we would be roommates when we were digging out living quarters.” He ignored the softly voiced exclamation and continued on. “Yep, I had them hollow out a nice little three bedroom suite for you and me. Who do you think should get the third room?”

Sam’s tense shoulders relaxed and he looked at him hopefully. “Colonel Griffin?”

“Funny, somehow I knew you’d say that. Welcome to the family, Colonel.”

“Thank you, Peter. I appreciate it.” Green eyes gazed at him speculatively then softened when they moved to his brother. “Your family continues to surprise me.”

“The Hamiltons will do that to you. Damn, I forgot to tell Toby about the Hamilton curse.” Peter snapped his fingers and made another mental note.

“The Hamilton curse?” Sam had that endearing little wrinkle between his eyes.

“We can’t drink more than three drinks without weird things happening.”

Seth broke into a low laugh while Sam blushed from the neck up. Peter sensed a story but knew it would have to wait. They’d reached the great hall where the rest of the new settlers stood and sat in anticipation of seeing their new quarters.

“Welcome to the Moon.” The small woman with the black eye patch stood on a chair so everyone could see her. “The computer screens around the room have all your room assignments for now. Once we’re settled in, we can make changes as needed. For the moment, we’ve divided everyone up into the sections where they’ll be working. The families are clustered around the school rooms.”

A groan from the children interrupted her and Peter saw her grin blossom.

“There will be no classes for three more days but then its back to lessons for all of us. Grownups and children need to learn about this New World we inhabit. Safety first, last and always. I don’t want any accidents to mar this adventure. There are rules to living underground on a world without any breathable atmosphere. So those lessons have first priority. Peter Hamilton is our expert because he’s been living here for almost two weeks. Peter, raise your hand please and list our safety rules.”

Peter raised his arm and made sure everyone saw him. “First rule - Oxygen is precious and there will be no smoking or fires of any kind. Our air mix is volatile at the moment and we have to bring it with us. Second – water is worth its weight in gold because every drop has to come from Earth. Don’t waste it. Third – never ever play with the airlock controls or you will kill everyone in the base who’s not in a suit. That’s it.”

“Thank you, Peter, we’ll go into more detail later in our safety briefings. The first three ships landed all of you and your personal luggage. The next three will be bringing up more of our supplies and we’ll need your help to unload everything. So, as I call out your names, I’d like you to gather yourselves into the four corners of this room.” She paused, chuckling. “Well, if this round room had corners. For the moment, let’s just pretend. Doctor Sam, over here. Colonel Griffin, on this side. Peter, stay where you are. Running Elk, if you’ll just stay where you are. Thank you. Now the first names will stay in this hall with Doctor Sam.”

Peter watched while the crowd slowly divided into units with some of Seth’s Marines with each group. Taking his group, he led them back to the air locks. While they waited for the ship to dock, he went over the safety rules again, one by one with more detail and explanation. They all listened intently and he could tell that the Marine noncom in charge was making notes. He brought up a schematic of the base on the computer set into the wall. Pointing out the food preparation area and storerooms, he showed them where the first shipment would go.

The ship next up was bringing food and the paraphernalia needed to cook it. Peter was really looking forward to something other than MREs. They were filling but bland. The soft chime rang and he showed the men near him what to check for while waiting for the docking to commence. More importantly, he showed them the breathers that hung in little pockets set into the walls and told them there would be drills for the first few weeks until grabbing one and putting it on became second nature.

The second chime rang and he pressed the sequence of keys that would open the outer door, allowing the supplies to be off loaded into the first chamber. While the ship unloaded, he went over the five sections of the base that were currently available. The meeting hall, offices and command center were all located in the main hub. The schoolrooms and family quarters filled all of one spoke. The ship docks and pilots rooms stretched out at an angle to them. The medical bay and science labs were closest to the living quarters. And last but not least the hydroponics hall, water storage tanks and power battery rooms all stretched out deeper than the other parts. Like the spokes of a wheel with the meeting hall at the center, he pointed out where the next space would be mined to provide room for machine shops and fabrication sections.

A third chime rang out and he checked the computer read out then did a visual check as well before he triggered the door open. The supplies were stacked on wheeled dollies and they emptied the chamber then Peter let Gunnie operate the door and check for a correct seal before leading them to the meeting hall and down to the chow hall.

Some of the women and children were waiting for them to off load the crates of supplies then they wheeled the empty dollies back to the loading dock. Peter asked the soldiers about conditions back on Earth and they willingly filled him in. Interestingly enough, every other sentence had the name Ruth in it. He listened intently to the reports of violence and hysteria that were still sweeping Earth. Peter had never felt so removed from the bizarre events on his home world.

For a moment, he thought about it but he couldn’t dredge up any emotion except impatience. The future was here and now. Why couldn’t they see that? He’d stopped listening to the media feed from the satellites because of all the nonsense they spouted. And it took valuable time away from the creation of the base. Time had ceased to have any meaning to him. There was time for work and time for sleep. That was it. He was looking forward to catching up on what the rest of the world was doing.

While they were moving the next load, he wondered why Ruth hadn’t co-opted the media and allowed them access to the aliens. He would have but then he didn’t know everything that was going on. There had to be a big picture somewhere but all he knew was the moon and the flying he’d been promised after he finished being a miner. Ruth had approved all of his suggestions and explained the deviations from the original plan each time they talked. And they’d talked every day so he was pretty well up to speed on the timetable.

He was really looking forward to sitting down with Sam and finding out how the rest of the family was doing. He’d caught some odd under currents in the two conversations he had with his parents. Of course, that might be because of Sam’s surprising news or Toby’s thwarted desire to come. Peter came back to what he was doing when the most wonderful smell wafted down the corridor.

Fresh baked bread. He sniffed again and followed his nose, pushing the next shipment on the squeaky dolly into the great hall. The elderly man from the arctic was checking off each crate from a clipboard list.

“It looks like those are medical supplies, Major Hamilton. All the kitchen crates have arrived and been unpacked.”

“Great. I’ll wheel these down to the medical wing. If you’ll just direct the others after me, I’d appreciate it. You know my name but I’m afraid I’ve forgotten yours.” Peter grinned down at him.

He smiled shyly and put out his hand in a quick clasp. “Joe Peterson, man of all work. I don’t really have a title. I just help out where ever I can.”

“Man of all work, I like that. That’s exactly how I felt the last two weeks. Perhaps we can talk later.” Peter smiled and changed direction, pushing the supplies down the corridor to the medical lab.

Sam was directing the placement of the big equipment like the x-ray machine and the diagnostic beds. They only had time for a quick exchange of questions and answers before Peter had to get back to unloading. Now the first load had arrived, some of the Ikiiri were lending a hand so the work went even faster. The next time he passed through the great hall, he saw Queen Terana and Ruth sitting side by side on the floor in front of all the children. 

The little ones looked spell bound by whatever the Ikiiri Queen was saying and for a moment, he wished he could sit and listen to a story. He’d heard many from the Ikiiri he worked with and he looked forward to hearing more. They really needed someone to make a record of everything that was going on. These stories would go to start a new tradition for those who made Moon Base their home.

The baked bread smell was augmented by something spicy that drew him like a magnet. He remembered the beautiful red head from the arctic, pulling the first of the loaves from the oven and setting them out on the counter to cool. Seeing Peter, she smiled and beckoned him over.

“Peter, I’ll bet you’re one of the ones who have been eating all the MREs. If you can wait five minutes you can have the first slice of this loaf with some butter and honey. I’m Marag Campbell if you’ve forgotten my name. I’m Seth’s cousin and he’s already told me you seem to be all right with their news.”

“Well, it was a surprise but as long as Sam’s happy then the least I can do is be happy for him. For them both.” He fell silent when two women joined Marag at the counter.

Peter was wearing one of the translators so he understood their speech even though it appeared Marag didn’t. They were chatting about the space and the storage rooms behind the kitchens.

“Will there be enough room, do you think?” He asked them, surprising them into English. “And what are your names?”

“Dawn Rivera. And there is so much room, we can not fill it up.” She spoke up shyly.

“We’ve got more shipments coming day after tomorrow. The holiday shut down our supply lines until then.”

Marag frowned. “Good heavens, that’s right. Tomorrow is the 25th. I wonder if Ruth remembered. And whether we have presents for all the children.”

The other spoke up at that. “I am Mary Two Feathers. There is something for all of them, mostly clothes and a few toys. If we could bake some cookies tonight?”

“What a good idea. Of course we can.” Marag sighed in relief. “But for now, Peter, I think this loaf is cool enough to cut. Do you have time to sit and enjoy it?”

“The last load is in and being distributed as we speak. You’ll probably have a crowd in a few minutes.” Peter watched her hands gracefully cut the loaf into slices while one of the others put out butter and a jar of honey.

“Good. The lasagna is done and ready to eat. Mary, would you cut the Major some so he can sit down and avoid the rush?” Marag directed her assistant while she continued slicing. Five loaves were taken care of before Peter got a plate filled with a large wedge of lasagna and several slices of new bread, liberally spread with butter and honey.

He sat down at one of the tables and enjoyed his first bite of new bread. Chewing slowly, he savored the burst of flavor across his tongue. Food fit for the gods he decided and took another bite. This time he chose the lasagna and a string of cheese wrapped itself around his fork so he had a tug of war before he could really chew it. It was even better than his mother’s, although he would never admit it to her.

As if thinking about her could conjure up family, Sam walked in and made a bee-line for the serving line. He could hear him laughing with Marag and what ever he said made Mary smile as well. When his plate was full, he sat down with his brother and took a bite before rolling his eyes and making a thumbs-up gesture to the cooks.

“So, get all the supplies stored away?” Peter asked around another bite of bread.

Sam nodded vigorously and swallowed. “For now, I just put everything on a shelf. Tomorrow will be soon enough to figure out a system so everything is easily found in an emergency. The bandages and first aid supplies are up front in case we have one before the night is out. If it is night.”

“It’s kind of hard to get used to. The clocks are set to Earth time, specifically Eastern Standard Time for now. I haven’t seen daylight since I got here so that’s something you’ll need to take into account. I noticed the lights you sent up are in the range to treat a SADD disorder. Most of them went into the hydroponics lab for the plants because Professor Henri, our horticulturist, insisted. I find myself spending time there for a while some nights before I go to bed.” Peter shrugged. “It seems to ground and relax me so I can sleep.”

Sam nodded unconsciously while he ate. “Everyone’s circadian rhythms will be out-of-sync for a while. We’re going to need to run three shifts to get everything done so we’ll have to take that into account. I’ll tell Ruth and let her think about it.”

“What’s it like to work with her?” Peter was curious.

“She’s an amazing woman. I don’t think she sleeps much because she’s too busy thinking.” Sam paused and considered his statement. “But she doesn’t just think, she works bloody hard too. I’ve never known anyone like her and that’s not even including her ability to heal.”

“Excuse me?” Peter paused with his fork half way to his mouth.

“You don’t believe me.” Sam grinned at him affectionately. “That’s okay. In time you’ll see what I’m talking about. Hopefully not too soon. It takes a lot out of her.”

“Okay, it’s weird but no stranger than the dream I had last night.” Peter grimaced.

Sitting up straight, Sam dropped his voice and asked him urgently. “What was it about? Who was in it?”

“The Goddess, I guess. Except she wasn’t a polar bear but a woman dressed in red. We walked out on the moon’s surface without suits. She called me her knight and told me that change was inevitable but caution was required. And something about an enemy who is well hidden. Then she quoted Shakespeare and told me to be wary and protect her Avatar.” Peter finished the last bite of bread. “That’s Ruth, right?”

“Yes. That sounds right. We brought one of the opposition with us. You remember Father Adam? He’s not very pleased with the whole pagan goddess thing. I wish she’d let us do more of the work. She’s running herself ragged as if there’s some invisible clock ticking away and she has to get everything done before it strikes midnight.” Sam sighed.

“So she’s our Cinderella?” Peter grinned. “But I understand what you’re saying. Every time we spoke, there were ten more things for my to-do-list. I still haven’t gotten to the end of it.” Peter grimaced and shook his head. “But now you’re here, maybe I can finally get in some flying. So far all I’ve gotten to do is oversee the modifications to one of the scout ships. The Ikiiri are so much bigger than we are, all the controls needed to be modified for me. But I did manage one flight and it was glorious. Twice around the moon and back, but I could have just kept going to Mars it felt so good.”

Sam grinned. “Well, big brother, I expect she’s going to want to see what you can do tomorrow.”

“Nope, tomorrow’s Christmas and I think we have other plans. Mary said there are presents for the kids and even though we don’t have a tree or a Santa, I think we can cobble something together for everyone.”

“Oh dear, I never even noticed the date.” Sam’s face fell. “I didn’t get anything for Seth.”

“Now, I have to say that you surprised me with him. Are you happy?” Peter watched his brother’s face light up with joy.

“Yes. He’s the person I’ve always been looking for. We met in Kosovo my last night.” Sam began the story and soon had Peter laughing so hard he could barely breathe. 

Now he knew why Sam had blushed and Seth had laughed when he mentioned the Hamilton curse. It sounded like his brother was safe and happy with the Colonel and Peter was glad he’d designed the three-bedroom suite to accommodate them all. Even if one room didn’t get used. Maybe they could turn it into a study or something. He made a mental note to suggest it later. 

The room had filled up while they talked and it looked like their table was needed so they took their dirty dishes over to the counter and Peter showed the kitchen crew how to work the sonic dish washer. He could see the doubt on all their faces but he assured them that it worked just as well as soap and water. They nodded but he could tell they weren’t convinced.

He dragged Sam away and down the hall to their rooms. Peter couldn’t wait to see his brother’s face when he saw them. The suite was just three doors down from the command center in the spoke that led to the medical wing. When they came to the two foot deep doorway, Peter went first and Sam followed.

“There’s no door. Why isn’t there a door?” 

“We forgot to get any.” Peter gave way to laughter. “I had them cut the openings to the size of a standard door so we could bring up some later and somehow anchor them to the basalt.”

“Is that what this is?” Sam ran his hand over the walls of mottled gray-green and black. “They look like they’re made out of opaque glass.”

“The equipment vaporizes the rock and leaves behind this finish. I don’t pretend to understand it. We need an engineer or a scientist for that. But at this depth, the moon is mostly made up of basalt and other volcanic rock. We need more geologists. Poor Dr. Longer is working 20 hours a day but he’s so happy he practically floats.”

“We need a lot of specialties really badly but we need people we can trust. The only way I can see that happening is the fact you can’t lie to Ruth.”

“Huh, that's what the Goddess said.” Peter remembered.

Sam’s grinned. "It’s part of her gift. Hey, that’s my dresser.” He poked his head into the first room off of the common room. “How did you get this up here? And my clothes are here too. How?”

“About five minutes after Wolf’s friends picked up Mom and Dad, another crew moved in and gathered up my stuff and yours. They’ve been up here ever since. Kind of a nice touch of home.” Peter leaned against the doorjamb and watched his brother give a sigh and run a hand over the maple dresser.

“It’s not fair that Seth won’t have anything of his.”

“Oh, I don’t know, Sam. I found a surprise in the next room.” Seth’s voice came from over Peter’s shoulder and he watched his brother begin to glow. “It looks like the same crew stopped by my apartment and brought up my stuff.”

“That’s why I didn’t recognize the furniture out here.” Sam joined them and Peter watched the way they gravitated together even though they didn’t touch.

“You never got to see my one bedroom apartment but basically this is everything I had in it.” Seth looked at the pictures propped up against the wall, the oak bookcases filled with books and the lamp on the side table that had no place to plug in. He waved a hand at the glowing fixtures that ran along the join of ceiling and wall. “Do all the rooms have these lights in them? And how are they controlled?”

“They’re voice activated, run by computer and in all the rooms and hallways.” Peter waited in anticipation of what they’d find in the room between Seth’s bedroom and his own.

“Um, Peter. Why do we have a composting toilet in the bathroom?” Sam’s voice sounded just as bewildered as he expected.

“Recycling is going to be a very big part of our lives, my friends. Nothing and I do mean nothing is thrown away. That includes all waste products, air and water. The Ikiiri have the most fantastic air scrubber. That’s down the base-spoke where the water is stored. Every room in the base has a duct going to and coming from the scrubber.”

“That doesn’t explain why we have a Clivus Multrum composting toilet in here. Is there another layer to the base below us? And why isn’t there a sink?” Sam sounded so plaintive that Seth gathered him into a hug even though Peter was watching.

“I’m guessing water is in short supply because there is none on the Moon.” Seth’s look at Peter galvanized him into speech.

“There is another layer both above and below us. And as I mentioned earlier every drop of water had to be brought up. Part of the arctic made a trip here. You should have seen it when they lowered the chunk of ice into the water tank before we sealed it shut. Of course the ‘tank’ right now holds 5 tons of ice water for each person up to 1,000 people. Instead of wasting water with flushing or showers or sinks, the Ikiiri use sonic waves but that won’t work with waste material.” Peter smiled. “Ruth contacted the Clivus Multrum company and ordered five hundred toilets for the base. After they picked their jaws up off the floor, she was able to arrange a pretty good price and an immediate delivery of the first two hundred.”

“How did she pay for them? The money she got from the sale of the translators went to supplies mostly and the transportation of all the things we just off-loaded.” Seth left his arm around Sam and steered them all into the common room.

Peter snickered and sank down into a burgundy leather club chair that was the most comfortable chair he’d ever found. “She acted as the middle man for the company and the Ikiiri. They fell in love with the idea of using worms for converting waste. Basically, we got ours for free while the Ikiiri traded their simplest solar power converter to the company for their exclusive use. The panels convert sunlight directly to electrical power. We’re using them ourselves. It’s DC of course so most of the machines you see about you had to be bought from the survivalists and back-to-earth companies in the U.S. and Canada. The government is going to have a collective hissy fit once they see how cheap electricity could be.”

“That could start a destabilizing of the economy, not just for us but for the entire world.” Seth frowned from the matching leather sofa with Sam tucked into his side.

“It’s a pretty basic principle to hear Regani tell it. He’s the Ikiiri head engineer. And from what I can tell, Ruth knows what she’s doing. Every piece of technology she was able to wring out of the Ikiiri is going to a different company and country. There should be enough to go around so long as nobody gets greedy.”

“Right.” Sam grinned at him. “And if you believe that, I’ve got a moon crater to sell you.”

“Actually, that’s not a half bad idea.” Peter grinned back. “Being the only ones up here gets kind of lonely. It’s a big moon with plenty of room for other bases.”

Sam’s eyes were at half-mast and his head kept leaning a little closer to Seth’s shoulder. The Colonel looked down affectionately and whispered something in his ear that brought a sleepy laugh. For a moment, Peter ached to feel that same warmth and caring but he quickly shook it off. There wasn’t time for it now.

“Knock, knock. All right to come in?” The low voice at the doorway broke into the silence.

“Please.” Peter stood and waved Ruth in. Joe was right behind her.

“We’re about to call it quits for the day. We need to meet at 0800 tomorrow in the command center for an initial meeting of the command staff. The three of you, Marag, Gunnie, the Elders and some of the Ikiiri need to be there. Then Father Adam wants to hold a Christmas Mass in the meeting hall and I told him that was fine. Christmas dinner next then presents for the children back in the hall.” She paced slowly around the room gazing carefully at the bookcases filled with books and the pictures leaning against the walls. Joe remained by the doorway with a small smile on his face, his eyes never leaving her.

She radiated controlled energy and Peter watched his brother uncurl from the sofa and unselfconsciously stop her with a hug. “Everything will be fine, Ruth. Tomorrow is soon enough to start planning.”

Sighing, she nodded and hugged him close before stepping away. “Do you ever get tired of being right, Sam? Sleep well. We’ll see you in the morning.”

Peter said good night to his roommates in a thoughtful mood and wondered why it felt like the lights had dimmed at her exit. Maybe the healing ability Sam mentioned had something to do with it. Undressing quickly, he crawled into bed and told the lights to turn off. The walls were so thick he hoped any sounds would remain muffled. 

It seemed odd that there were over three hundred people filling up the space where only ten humans and twice as many Ikiiri had lived for the last two weeks. Kind of comforting actually and he smiled when he heard the sound of laughter from Seth’s room. Very comforting indeed to know he had family right next door. Thinking about what had to be done tomorrow, he fell asleep while counting his tasks.

********************


	6. Celebration

Father Adam woke with a start, his heart pounding. Sitting upright abruptly from the nightmare he’d been living, the glow of light from the outer room reassured him momentarily before his surroundings reminded him where he was. On the moon. Surrounded by people he knew little about and aliens who asked him questions he didn’t know how to answer. Falling back onto the firm mattress, he restrained himself from pulling the covers over his head. Instead, he pretended for just a moment that it was Christmas morning back in Toronto.

His mom would be making pancakes while his dad read the paper aloud to her. His sister’s kids would be straining at the bit to open presents but Kit would just smile and make them wash up and get dressed first. The scent of pine from the big tree in the living room would fill the house. His brother-in-law Tom would catch Kit under the mistletoe and dip her back for a long kiss while their three kids made gagging sounds at the sight.

“Okay, so you’re not home and there’s no tree or any of the scents of home. And instead of going to celebrate mass in the old church a mile from the farm, you’re going to be offering mass for the most eclectic group of people you’ve ever met. Some Catholic, some Protestant, some out and out Pagans and the person who bothers you the most, an Avatar of a Goddess from antiquity.” He brooded for a moment but not even thinking about Ruth could stop the rush of Christmas spirit well up in his soul.

Sliding out of bed, he slid to his knees and crossed himself before bowing his head and offering the first of the day’s offices. The familiar prayers grounded him in the rituals of the past he still found so relevant today. He never questioned his faith when he was praying, only when he got caught up in the day to day routine. 

He snorted and finished the prayer. There was nothing routine about his life these days and he wished fervently he’d never had that terrible dream. When they’d returned from the arctic and communications had been restored, the first person he’d called was Bishop Fogerty. He still couldn’t believe the man had told him his place was with the people consorting with the aliens.

But he obeyed his orders and followed them down to the desert. While he dressed, he thought of the questions young Trisston had asked him. Why was he the only one who could talk to God? Who was Jesus? If he was a man then why did they worship him? Why were there three Gods? Why didn’t he pray to the Great Mother? Why did he kneel and bow his head to pray? Why did he close his eyes when he prayed?

What clan did he belong to? What was a Pope? What were the little wafers for? What did it mean when he said amen? What was the white collar for? Did God ever talk back to him? If he wanted to know what was going to happen, why didn’t he just ask Ruth?

He snorted derisively and fastened the white band in the back before settling his collar over it. Instead of his army uniform, he wore his formal blacks, settling into the attire of his calling. Dismissing the uncertainty he felt over some of his answers to the young Ikiiri, he strode out into the empty common room of the two-bedroom suite. His room had a bed and a chest of drawers in it with a small round table and two chairs nestled into the corner. His roommate was the Master Gunnery Sergeant from Colonel Griffin’s unit. 

A snore wafted out of the other bedroom and he used the bathroom to relieve himself, glad that the other man was not yet awake. Leaving his quarters, he oriented himself with a look at the computer screen set into the wall. They were several doorways down from the meeting hall in the spoke labeled ‘Family’. Deciding to see if there was any breakfast prepared, he headed for the dining room.

The smell of freshly perked coffee brought a smile to his face but when he entered the large room, there was no one to be seen. Helping himself, he turned at the noise of someone pushing one of the carts out of the storeroom. It was Joe with a cart full of supplies.

“Father Adam, good morning. You’re up early.”

“Good morning, Joe. I’m afraid I don’t know what time it is. Is there something I could help with?”

“It’s 0500, Father. I’m just getting the supplies set up for the cooks. Breakfast isn’t until 0600 so everyone will have time to eat before your sermon.” Joe ducked his head and began to struggle with the heavy sack of flour.

Adam set his cup down and helped the elderly man unload the flour, sugar and salt sacks onto the back counter. They worked carefully but soon the supplies were lined up for easy access, the mixing bowls and pans were laid out ready for use and the ovens were preheating. Stepping back, they poured more coffee for themselves and got out of the way of the four women who appeared. The chorus of ‘good mornings’ filled the air then breakfast was begun.

“Joe, do you know where I’m to set up for mass?”

“Sure, Father, we thought the Great Hall would be big enough to hold everyone. We started decorating it last night before we went to bed.” Joe led him out of the dining room and down the short curving corridor that ended in the large room of the day before.

Something new had been added to the convex curve of wall. Something soft and thick hung down from the ceiling in a waterfall of pale green that stretched from one doorway to another. Adam touched it gingerly, feeling the texture cling to his fingers briefly before letting go. Several items were hung haphazardly here and there on its surface and his gaze roved over them, trying to figure out their significance. 

A long, broad feather in gray, tipped in white.

A brown pine cone.

A faded creamy white blossom from a yucca plant.

A playing card – the ace of hearts.

A sturdy white handkerchief embroidered with an ornate ‘S’.

A crayoned picture of a mountain with a coyote baying at the moon.

A silver locket – open to show two pictures from the 1940’s.

A Susan B. Anthony silver dollar.

A baby tooth.

The last one made him smile and he wondered which of the children had finally lost their front tooth. Stepping back, he let his eyes roam over the array and thought about what each of the items might mean to the people who had placed them. Hopes, wishes, memories or perhaps they were all of the above, he decided. If there was one thing he might choose to place here, what might it be?

“We have a table here, Father, that might serve as an altar.” Joe’s voice broke gently into his thoughts. “There’s grape juice and wafers if you want to offer communion.”

Adam checked over the supplies and picked up the wooden chalice. “It looks like this has seen many years of use. What a beautiful pattern in the wood.” His fingers traced the twisted stem with gentle fingers. “And so light, it hardly has any weight at all.”

“I don’t know what it’s made of but Elder Running Elk gave it to me last night. It is his offering to you if you wish to use it.”

“It will be quite perfect. I’ll thank him later.” Adam placed it back on the tablecloth that disguised the folding table in chaste white folds. “This will be fine, Joe. I’m curious about the wall and these unique decorations.”

Joe nodded. “It didn’t seem right somehow to just bring the old traditions with us. We’re starting a new life here built on our past. So, we’re asking everyone to give something of their past to the wall, to remind us of our beginnings while we move into the future.”

“What an interesting idea. I find myself wondering what I would choose to place here. Is there a pattern to what is placed where?” He asked.

“No, just where ever it feels right. It doesn’t have to be done right away. Some may have to think about it and some may never feel like putting something up. But it’s more interesting than Christmas decorations and will last all year long.” Joe smiled his eyes on the silver locket.

“Are they your parents?” Adam was curious as to what belonged to whom.

“Yes. I was born in 1940 and those pictures were taken just before my father shipped out to Europe. He never came home and I grew up always knowing I was his last gift to my mother. Money was tight and she had to work outside the home even after the war was over but I never felt as if I was second best to her career.” Joe gazed into the distance of memory. “Hard times but never a lack of love. In that, I was a very lucky child.”

“Joe.” 

The call seemed to come from the wall and Adam watched Joe snap to attention, his faded blue eyes sparkling with anticipation. “Yes, ma’am. I’m in the Great Hall with Father Adam.”

“Is everything all right?” Adam recognized Ruth’s voice and he tensed.

“Yes, ma’am. Breakfast is almost ready.”

“Oh good, I’ll meet you there. Good morning, Father Benson, I’m looking forward to your homily.” Her disembodied voice came directly to his ears.

“Thank you.” It had never occurred to Adam she would come to the service. For a horrible moment, he couldn’t remember what he was going to talk about. Then the bible verses he’d chosen came back to him and he sighed.

“We’d better go and get in line, Father. You’ll probably want some time to pray before the service starts. Will it be a problem that we can’t use candles?”

He hadn’t thought about it but now he did, he shook his head decisively. “The flame is just a symbol, Joe. As with all the other symbols of the mass, it’s what is in our hearts the Lord sees and hears.”

“How very true, Father.” Joe’s reply was heart felt and Adam wondered about the elderly man who had left his past behind to follow a woman he thought he knew from a past life.

Voices could be heard ahead of them and Adam quickened his pace. He suddenly felt the need to be with others in this alien world. The dining hall was beginning to fill up and the smell of cinnamon rolls was strong. Ruth was already sitting at one of the tables with a still yawning Peter. His brother and Colonel Griffin were just leaving the serving line and making a beeline to their table.

He and Joe received their trays and went to take the last two seats. Adam found himself at one end with Ruth at the other. He bowed his head for a prayer and looked back up to find the others holding still until he was finished. Taking up his coffee cup, he smiled and saluted them with it.

Sam broke into speech first. “Is there any word from home about the others?”

Ruth nodded and sipped at a pale golden tea. “Wolf called a couple of hours ago and said he was ready for pickup. Edward got in touch with him about some doctors you’d asked him to check?”

“We’re going to need more than just me, Ruth. Specialists in radiation treatment and trauma doctors just to start with. So, what did he say?”

“One of them is military, a Dr. Smithson from Washington, D. C.”

Seth almost sprayed his coffee across the table. “You have got to be kidding. Smitty applied to leave that cushy little billet?”

“Is that a positive or negative reaction, Seth?” Ruth raised an eyebrow and nibbled on her cinnamon roll.

“I’m not sure. Let me think about it.” He frowned down into his cup. “He’s pretty much a stickler, by-the-book kind of guy.”

“Not necessarily a bad thing in an environment that is so unforgiving.” Ruth pointed out. “Could he work under you?”

“He’s a Colonel but I have a year seniority over him. The problem would be his seniority over Sam.”

Sam smiled at him. “Not the first time that’s happened, Seth. I’m pretty easy going.”

“But we can’t afford friction.” Ruth shook her head. “The other two sound like better bets to me. There’s a Dr. Reinbeau from Switzerland whose specialty is radiation and a Dr. Freeman from Great Britain whose specialty is infectious diseases. Your father was pretty excited about Ben Freeman.”

“They worked together on a Legionnaire’s Disease outbreak in New Jersey. I could work with him.” Sam nodded.

“Good. I’ll let Wolf know. Now, the President wants to send up some of NASA’s astronauts. There are twelve of them to start with but I expect more to follow. This is, after all, what they trained for.”

“Did he confirm me as Moon Base commander?” Seth looked up at her with an arched eyebrow.

She grinned and nodded. Sam and Peter gave muted cheers and mock salutes. Adam could feel the relaxation that followed that announcement. 

“He gave us your entire unit with the provision that anyone who didn’t want to serve on the Moon would be moved laterally to another unit. He expressed some concern about the civilians we brought up with us but I told him they weren’t negotiable.” Ruth’s eye glittered in the bright light of the dining hall. “My next call was from your Prime Minister, Father Benson. He confirmed your appointment as base chaplain and when I requested his best engineering unit, he agreed. So some of your compatriots will be joining us shortly.”

“Thank you.” Adam didn’t know what else to say.

“We’ve got about a hundred new people to prepare for so once the festivities are over, we’ll be back to work.” 

Sam swallowed hastily. “How many do we have room for?” 

“Right now, about five hundred although our power could be stretched to accommodate a thousand. So far, we’ve received 3,526 applications of would-be settlers from around the world. And thankfully, the riots appear to be waning.” She finished her roll and sipped her tea while eyeing Peter. “You’ll be joined shortly by ten other pilots. Queen Terana is leaving us seven of the scout ships.”

“We’ve only modified one of them so far.” Peter stirred his coffee, his eyes unfocused. “But the next one won’t be so hard and the one after that won’t take any time at all. How many of the Ikiiri will be staying?”

“Six of her sons will be stationed here. Including Korath the Healer and Regani the Engineer.”

Adam listened as they sorted out what needed to be done over coffee and rolls. It was informal to the nth degree and yet . . . their dedication to what needed to be done was absolute. Ruth deferred in some of the decisions to both Peter and the Colonel. He shook his head and saw by the clock that it was time to go and set up for the nine o’clock service. Bowing his head to the other end of the table, he excused himself and took his tray to the counter. 

At the makeshift altar, he went through his pre-service ritual, clearing his mind and spirit to allow the feeling of fellowship to flow through him. When he rose from prayer making the sign of the cross and turning around, the hall was filled. It appeared everyone on base was here, including the Ikiiri Queen and several of her sons. He swallowed hard and began.

“On this special day, we gather to celebrate the birth of Christ and rejoice at the great leap, mankind has taken. For those of you with bibles, please turn to Luke, chapter 2.” He paused and heard the rapid turning of pages. “And it came to pass . . .”

***************** 

“Very nice, Father. I look forward to your next service.” Ruth nodded at him, her single eye blinking. “Can we prevail upon you to hand out the presents for the children? I don’t think we’ll bother Santa.”

“Yes, of course, I’d be honored.” Adam couldn’t understand why she had asked him. She seemed to be going out of her way to include him in the celebrations.

“Good. Running Elk has asked for permission to hold a drum ceremony after lunch so we’d better do gifts first. Thank you, Father.” The half-smile seemed to be more a quirk of the lips than a full-fledged grin. She turned towards the offices. “Joe, we need to check with communications.”

He shook his head and wondered if he’d ever understand her before turning back to the children gathered in the center of their elders. The Marines disappeared at a high sign from their commander and Adam was left with the Apaches. Mary Two Feathers handed him a large. burlap sack full of boxes. He stood at the edge of the circle and pulled out each present, calling out a name and watching each little one come shyly up to get their present.

When Dakota’s name was called, she smiled widely at him and he saw the gap where her front tooth had been. Mentally, he matched the tooth on the wall with the beaming little girl. Once all the children had received their packages, Mary gave them permission to open their presents. Most of them were very utilitarian, a book or sweater and occasionally a puzzle.

Not what his nieces and nephews were opening down on Earth, he thought with a pang and wished he’d thought to get them all a little something just for fun. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw the Marines return. Their hands were all behind their backs and when Seth cleared his throat, the people in the circle all looked up with puzzled looks.

“We have a little surprise for everyone here. Let’s see . . . well, what a coincidence, there’s one Marine for every child. Could each of you come to each of us?” He grinned encouragingly and the adults nudged the children forward until they were standing in front of the men. “Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas.”

And in unison, the Marines handed each child a teddy bear. Little eyes widened and soft ‘oh-h-h’s’ filled the air. Adam smiled at the murmured ‘thank you’s’. Dark haired Dakota clutched a brown bear to her chest with one hand while with the other she strangled the kneeling doctor.

“What is his name, Doctor Sam?”

“Why don’t you call her Sari. She is a little girl just your age and she gave her to me for you.”

“Can I tell her thank you?” Her innocent question seemed to disconcert him and Adam saw him blink away tears.

“When you go to sleep tonight, Dakota, say a little thank you prayer and she’ll hear you.” He smiled and returned her hug with such a sorrowful look on his face.

Adam wondered what the story was and why the Colonel at his side looked sad too, his gaze gentle on the young doctor. There was something else he had to think about. Maybe it was something in the way they talked to each other or the way they always seemed to end up next to each other but he was afraid that they were breaking God’s law. The brother was unknowing, or worse, accepting of their perversion.

He sighed and decided to pray for them. Once they were settled in perhaps he could point out the mortal sin imperiling their souls. And perhaps he was wrong and they were simply good friends. He would pray it was so. There were many here for whom he needed to pray. For a moment, Adam wondered if he had the strength but then he remembered to whom he was praying and he smiled.

******************* 

Lunch was a noisy affair and taken in two shifts then they all gathered in the Great Hall for the drumming ceremony. Adam stayed near the back wall and watched the tribal elders sit on the floor in a circle cradling their drums in their laps. Running Elk began the slow beat and after a few moments another joined in. Slowly, they added each drum until the air pulsed with the sound. 

A hum started low and grew in volume until his bones ached with it and he shivered as if cold. Chanting words he didn’t understand, the elders invoked a deity he didn’t recognize. The women of the tribe moved slowly about the outer circle and their voices joined in the chant. Adam found tears stinging his eyes for no reason and he blinked rapidly to keep the moisture where it belonged. Finding the emotion too strong, he tried to find another focus and saw the Ikiiri as if for the first time.

They sat beyond the circle and swayed in time with the rhythm of the dance. It sounded like they were humming along and he wondered if it would bother the tribal elders. But the half smile on Running Elk’s lined face told him that the old man was aware and approved. Adam looked around and found Ruth standing by the doctor. Her face was calm but tears slid down her face from her single eye. While he watched, the doctor put his arm around her, his own face wet with tears.

Adam wondered anew just how tangled the relationships in the command staff really were. Sighing, he promised himself a lengthy prayer session. The deliberate distancing of his mind from the drumming had succeeded in breaking the spell they seemed to weave. He clasped his hands behind him and settled in to wait for an ending to the rather monotonous dance. 

He’d have to make a note in his journal about the quaint ceremony. Perhaps they could be weaned from their pagan rites by letting them drum for his services? It might be worth a try. He’d have to ask Bishop Fogerty if that could be encompassed by Church doctrine. Somehow, he couldn’t see the Pope approving such an unorthodox practice. For a moment a feeling of homesickness arose and swamped his soul.

Instead of this bizarre place and celebration, he wanted to be home, surrounded by family and friends who understood the right way to celebrate this holy day. He wanted the sounds and scents of bells and pine not the drums and stone dust. He closed his eyes and reminded himself of duty. _Oh, God, give me strength to endure. Help me to minister to these strange people and the aliens among us. Loan me your wisdom so I may help these souls to find you. Send your blessings both here and to those I love back on Earth._

While he was praying, the drumming finally stopped and he barely kept his sigh of relief to himself. Opening his eyes and pasting a smile onto his face, he watched Ruth speak with Running Elk. She rose on tiptoe and kissed his worn cheek, whatever she said bringing a smile to his face. Then everyone was sitting down together and Mary began a song. They all joined in and Adam felt as if he’d gotten part of his wish, even if it was just a carol.

He listened bemused when the Ikiiri joined in with their tuneful humming. Adam shook his head and joined in too. The children sang alone for two songs then Ruth requested ‘Abide with Me’ and the pure notes of the old hymn soared through the room and out into the corridors of the base. The last note lingered in the silence and Adam felt a shiver run up his spine. Too many odd things were happening and he wished they would stop.

Queen Terana spoke up. “Thisss isss mossst interesssting. I had no idea that you knew of the sssacred sssilenccce. My clan sssissstersss will be very excccited at thisss newsss.”

Ruth smiled at her. “The sacred silence – what a very good name for our holy day. I am glad to know our peoples share yet another tie, clan sister.”

“Yesss, thessse linksss will go a long way to exxxplaining the new thought I will bring back to my sssissstersss.” The Queen stood with her sons and bowed to Ruth.

Ruth stood and bowed as well. “ Your salt has been loaded. Safe journey home, my sister. I look forward to your return.”

“Then we will be on our way. The wormhole isss ssstable and will remain ssso until we return. I leave my sssonsss in your care, clan sssissster.”

“Thank you, Terana. I will take good care of all our children.”

The Ikiiri Queen bowed again and strode from the Great Hall, taking the others with her. Adam was only beginning to understand they would soon be on their own with only their limited knowledge of living in space. He shuddered and took a strong hold on his courage. They could do it. 

They had to.

*************************


	7. Recruiting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Another Hamilton is heard from.

“Mother!” Edward stood in the kitchen door and gaped at her.

Penelope reached up and kissed his cheek while politely pushing him back into the warm kitchen. Taking a quick look around, she spied the same shocked look on Julie and Toby’s faces. And what was the name of that friend of Toby’s . . . Mei Ling.

“Goodness, you’d think you’d never seen me before. Merry Christmas everyone. Edward, shut the door. You’re letting all the warm air out.” She said tartly and swept on into the room, pausing only to air a kiss over Julie’s cheek and hug Toby.

“Grandma, you didn’t tell us you were coming.” Toby stood and hugged her back.

“Well, the only way I could have told you is if you’d answer the phone. Your message left a few things unsaid.” She raised an eyebrow and split her gaze between her son and his wife.

“We just got back ourselves from New Mexico last night.” Edward looked harried to her searching gaze. “Once we got here, we pretty much just collapsed in a heap and slept. It’s been . . . a little hectic.”

She snorted and pulled out a chair. “You always were a master of understatement, Edward. Now, everyone sit down and tell me why Peter is on the moon and all of you have been in New Mexico. And why I got a call from the FBI asking about my family.”

They all blushed and looked so guilty any judge would have sentenced them on the spot, but once they got started, the story poured out of them. She listened with shock while they told her of Ruth and Sam. Hearing of Toby and Mei Ling’s involvement sent a chill down her spine and she reached out to hold the big warm hand of her youngest grandson.

The story lasted quite a while, during which they consumed breakfast, each one taking a turn at story telling. She was fascinated and shocked in turn. She’d had no idea the entire family had been involved. The only thing she’d seen was Peter next to an alien and his admonition to his parents to leave. At that moment, she’d tried to book a flight north only to be thwarted by approximately half the population of Florida with the same idea.

“Well, I can see I missed the adventure of a lifetime by heading south for the winter. What is going to happen now?” She finished the last sip of her tea and looked around the table.

“We pick up where we left off and get on with our lives.” Edward said firmly. “Sam asked me to look into the applications of the doctors applying to Moon Base and I’ve done so. I sent them up last night. Anything else I can do I will but my place is here. I’m a doctor not an astronaut.”

Julie nodded slowly but her eyes were worried when she looked at Toby. Penelope turned her gaze to the troubled youth and caught a glimpse of the pain he was trying to hide. Something here wasn’t right but now wasn’t the time to go into it. 

“Goodness, such somber faces. Have you opened presents yet?” She stood up and cast an eagle glance around the table. “Edward, if you will get my suitcases from the back step, I’ll just freshen up and we’ll have some Christmas.”

They all looked like they’d just awakened, moving in slow motion to tidy and clean before heading to the living room. Penelope moved into the rooms that spelled home to her. Everything looked the same except for the envelope propped on her dressing table. Her name was written in a flowing script she didn’t recognize. Opening it, she realized that it was from the mysterious Ruth.

_Dear Penelope,  
I would like to thank you for my refuge from the storm. The Hamiltons are  
without a doubt the most caring and hospitable family I have ever met. I tried   
not to disturb anything but please know that I appreciate my temporary shelter.  
What ever happens next, I will always carry the memory of your safe haven._

_With gratitude,  
Ruth_

Penelope shook her head and tried to merge the picture of the small woman with the black eye patch and white buzz cut she’d seen on the TV screen with the sick woman here in her rooms, sleeping in her bed and bathing in her big tub. For a moment, she saw her curled on the window seat, looking longingly at the back yard then the vision was gone. Leaving the letter on her dressing table, she used the bathroom before coming back to find Julie sitting gingerly on the side of the bed.

Her suitcases were also on the end of the bed and Penelope opened the first one to remove the presents she’d brought back. “And what did you think about Ruth, Julie?”

She sprang up and began to pace. “I liked her at first. She was so very sick when she came but then it all changed. Sam got caught up with her then Toby came home and she caught him as well. At some point, I think I hated her.” Her hands clenched and unclenched at her side. “Right now, I honestly don’t know what I feel. I got Toby back but only because of . . . Her.”

Penelope was a little shocked at the raw emotion in her daughter-in-law’s voice. More than ever, she realized coming home was the right thing to do. “I see. Have you been able to talk with Sam or Peter since they left?”

Julie shook her head. “Not since yesterday. Edward downloaded his findings to the Internet address they set up for family members. It’s a very odd bunch they took with them in the initial load. I think Sam and Seth are the most normal ones to go.”

“And just who is this Seth you all spoke of?” Penelope paused when Julie blushed. “More than just a golfing partner for Edward?”

“Well . . . yes.” Julie stopped pacing and faced her with a determined look on her face. “He’s Sam’s lover. They met in Kosovo a couple of months ago.”

Penelope was stunned. Sam’s lover? “Good heavens, when did this happen? I take it he’s older than Sam? And also military?”

“Yes to both but they love each other very much and we’ve given them our blessing. I hope you’ll be able to do so in time.” For the first time since she’d come home, Penelope felt the Julie she’d left was back.

“I see. Well, if I ever get to meet him, I’ll make up my own mind. Now, what is this about Toby?” Penelope sat down in the window seat and gestured for Julie to join her. Listening to the decision to stay behind he’d made, she made a mental note to talk to him alone as soon as she could. Certain she’d wrung everything out of Julie that she could, she handed her half the presents and they joined the others in the living room.

It was a rather subdued Christmas with the packages for Sam and Peter sitting forlornly under the tree after all the others were opened. Penelope watched Toby and Mei Ling lean on each other and she smiled at their rather touching support of each other. They turned on the television and pretended to watch the football game in what had long been a Hamilton tradition. 

But the two who weren’t there seemed to leave a very large hole in the room and she found herself standing in the doorway to Sam’s empty room with Julie at her side. “Well, it looks like you can have your sewing room after all.”

Julie burst into tears and fled to their bedroom. Edward took two steps after her then stopped and ran a hand through his graying hair. Penelope suddenly realized that at fifty-five, her son was beginning to show his age. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to upset her.”

“She’s always talked about it. Having a sewing room and a place to store her cloth and supplies but when we found Sam’s and Peter’s rooms emptied last night, it just hit us like an atom bomb. They’re really gone. Hopefully, not for good but really and truly gone.” He leaned against the door jamb and Penelope gave into the impulse to give him a hug. His arms came up around her and they stood like that for a long moment.

“You had them longer than most, Edward. And they may be on the moon but people are still going back and forth. It’s not like they’ve flown out of the solar system and can’t talk to us.” She wondered which of them she was trying to convince.

“I know, Mother. I just feel old all of a sudden.” He laid his cheek on her hair and sighed. “Julie told you about Sam?”

“Yes, are you really all right with . . . this . . .” she found herself at a loss for words.

“The part of me that’s a father is fine with it. If you could see how tenderly they treat each other, you’d know what I mean. But there’s another part that sees Seth as a seducer of my innocent son. I’m going to have to come to terms with that part because I think Sam has made his choice and he can be just as stubborn as any of the other Hamilton males.”

She snorted and leaned back against his arms. “Don’t tell me about stubborn Hamiltons, I’ve been surrounded by them all my life. Go to Julie and hold her. I need to talk to Toby.”

A look of resignation settled on his expressive face. “Yes, Mother. Go easy on him. The choice was difficult for him.”

Penelope nodded and went back downstairs. Toby was sitting on the floor by the sofa, Mei Ling’s head in his lap while they pretended to watch the football game. She turned off the set before coming over to sit on the sofa within arm’s reach of her grandson.

“Would it be better if I left?” Mei Ling’s soft voice asked, her eyes troubled.

“No, I expect you were part of this decision. Now, Toby, I want the whole story and not just the bits you think your elderly granny can take.”

She listened intently while he told her of the bribe Ruth had offered him to stay and finish school. For the first time, she heard about the dreams he and Sam believed were past lives. Penelope found herself caught up in worlds from ancient times that stretched both forward to the future and back to the far past. When silence fell, she dropped a kiss on his hair and sat back to contemplate the future.

The phone rang and Toby got up to answer it. “Hamilton residence. Hey, Wolf, what’s up . . . Un-uh . . . sure . . . their Christmas presents to start with . . . when do we need to have them ready . . . okay, we’ll see you about five. Bye.”

“Wolf wants to know if we’ve got anything to go with him when he gets picked up tonight. We can pack up their presents. I think we’ve got some boxes in the basement. Can you think of anything else they might want?” 

“Maybe some of the books from your library. And what about CD’s?” Mei Ling gestured toward the bookcases that held the music collection.

“Good thinking, Mei Ling. You go through them while I look for boxes.” They shared a glance Penelope couldn’t decipher.

But her own mind was suddenly filled with the germ of a notion that was quickly blossoming into a full blown idea. She went to the kitchen to put the kettle on while she weighed the pros and cons of her brainstorm. The moon was a complete unknown to her but the thought of staying here and going back to Florida to make the same old rounds with the same old fogies was depressing.

There’d be an argument of epic proportions if she let the discussion get started so she wouldn't. She was an adult and quite capable of making her own decisions. A little shiver went up her spine while she contemplated her next move. Making a pot of tea, she carried her cup into her bedroom. There was the empty suitcase in which she’d brought the Christmas presents.

With judicious packing, she should be able to empty the contents of her dresser into it. The summer items wouldn’t be needed so just her warm socks and silk under things could go in. Her casual outfits were already packed in the other suitcase. She found herself pulling sweaters from the under-the-bed box and the old chinos that she wore while gardening. Practical, sturdy clothing that would suit any environment.

There was still room for some shoes and here was where the hard choices had to be made. She dearly loved footwear of all kinds and there was room for only three pairs. Sighing, she picked out her most practical ones in navy, black and tan. So uninspired but definitely something she could wear everyday.

Penelope closed the suitcase and activated the locks. A cough from the doorway brought her head around to find Mei Ling leaning against the door. “Planning on running away from home?”

“Until I see them for myself, I won’t be able to heal this breach in the family. So, if going up there will help then that’s what I’ll do.” She moved to the bookcase and began to pick out her favorite books. “Mei Ling, will you see if Toby can find a red suitcase in the basement? I’m not going without my books.”

“Yes, ma’am. I see where Toby gets his . . . determination.” The young girl sighed and turned.

“It’s stubbornness and it’s a Hamilton family trait. If you’re going to stick to my grandson, you’ll need to get used to it.”

“Oh, I’m sticking.” Her dark eyes met Penelope’s unflinchingly. “The Chang family never gives up.”

Penelope smiled and had a sudden vision of very stubborn twins with vaguely oriental features sitting obstinately in their high chairs, refusing to eat their strained peas. She went back to her books with a lighter heart than she had started with. Toby would be well taken care of.

By the time Mei Ling returned with the red suitcase, she had enough to fill it up with books. A few last minute items from the bathroom and she was ready. Toby took the suitcases out to the living room and set them near the front door. He hadn’t even tried to argue with her. One down and three to go.

**************** 

Penelope settled into her seat by the tall bearded man who had tried to argue with her. She’d bested him with a regal stare that quickly convinced him she would not back down. He’d carried out her suitcases and waited while she said goodbye to the family. Edward was worried but Julie seemed to find her decision curiously satisfying.

They had driven to the air base where the alien ship was waiting. Security was tight but the SP’s had simply passed them through while keeping the press out of their way. The media circus was in full swing and she shuddered to think what the news would be tonight. There was more security at the hangar where the ship gleamed on the tarmac. Her first sight of an Ikiiri brought her up short. 

Wolf introduced her to the tall purple dragon who bowed to her before helping her into the ship. The skin of his hand felt like supple leather and she watched in fascination as his scales glistened in the afternoon sunshine. The faint scent of musk teased her nostrils and she smiled at the memory that brought back. Her husband’s flying jacket had smelled just like that and for a moment she wondered what he would make of this alien meeting.

Her memories were good ones and she sat quietly through the take-off reliving the far past in her mind. Wolf had informed her the flight would be about an hour and a half right before he fell asleep. Looking at his slumbering figure, she noticed the blue smudges beneath his eyes. It looked like he hadn't slept in a week. Considering the amount of cargo they’d finished loading, she was afraid he hadn’t.

She was too excited to sleep and she began to plan how she would get her grandsons aside and talk some sense into them. Realistically, they were probably entrenched in their roles on the moon. But perhaps, she could soften their stance and get them to consider only staying for a few months before making way for others to take their places.

Unless Peter had gotten to fly these strange ships. Then she very much feared he wouldn’t listen. He had his grandfather’s zeal and need to fly. Yes, Eli was happiest when he was in the air and beating an old record or creating a new one. And Peter was so like him, single minded and focused completely on being a pilot.

She sat and watched through the porthole as the atmosphere disappeared and the black night of space replaced it. Such a soft velvet darkness through which they seemed to move effortlessly. There was no feeling of motion or that weightless state she’d been looking forward to. Oh well, she couldn’t have everything and the very fact that she was in outer space would have to do for now.

The humming from the pilot’s seat was soothing and before she knew it, they had landed and Wolf was calling her name softly. She nodded and unbuckled her seat belt pushing herself out of the chair only to find herself heading for the ceiling. Her stomach bounced first then Wolf’s hands brought her down gently. She held onto him and listened to his explanation with a nod of comprehension.

When the door opened, Penelope allowed the other humans to exit first then motioned to Wolf to go ahead. She wanted a moment to gather her courage before she had to face the others. Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out and moved down the ramp and into the airlock. Some of the others appeared nervous but Wolf was practically dancing with impatience. For the first time since they met, she wondered about his story and whether he’d given in so easily because he had family here as well.

The doors cycled shut behind them, trapping them between walls of green and black rock. But before her claustrophobia could take hold, the inner door was opening and a Marine was welcoming them to Moon Base. Wolf was one of the first through and Penelope watched with a smile while he picked up a beautiful red head and spun her around. Rich laughter flew through the air until Wolf silenced her with a kiss.

“Grandmother?” Sam’s stunned voice brought her back to her surroundings.

“Hello, dear, Merry Christmas. I came for a visit.” She reached up to kiss his cheek and felt his arms come around her in a hug.

“Do the folks know you’re here?” He seemed to be coming out of his surprise.

“Of course, Sam. Your father doesn’t approve but I think your mother was glad to get rid of me.” She patted his arm and drew him further down the corridor.

“Nonsense, Grandmother, she just wants to make sure that Peter and I don’t get into any trouble.” Sam shook his head and finally smiled. “We weren’t expecting you so we’re going to have to find you some quarters.”

“I’m not choosy, dear, any old room will do.” 

“Right.” Sam chuckled. “How many suitcases did you bring?”

“Just three and the box with your Christmas presents. It didn’t seem the same without all of you there ripping open your packages.” Her eyes were busy taking in the large hall and the odd looking wall hung with . . . something.

“Ruth, I’d like to introduce you to my Grandmother Penelope. Grandmother, this is Ruth.”

“Ah, the surprising Hamiltons. I hope you got my note?” The small woman was a head shorter than her and Penelope felt as if she towered.

“Yes, thank you. The Hamiltons have never liked to stay behind. Remind me to tell you about my husband’s great-great-grandfather. But for now, I would like to ask you for a room and something to keep me busy.”

The lips quirked up in what must pass for a smile in the ruined face. Penelope hadn’t realized the scarring was quite so extensive. She hoped it wasn’t as painful as it looked.

“Oh, I think we can find something for you to do. You’ll have your choice between Marag’s second room or Mary Two Feather’s third room. However, I should point out that since Wolf just arrived, Marag’s quarters might be . . . noisy.”

“The beautiful redhead that Wolf was kissing in the hall?” Penelope asked and made her decision at their nods. “Mary Two Feather, please. I love meeting new people.”

“Sam, if you’ll take her down and get her settled in, I’ll find Peter and send him down as well.” Ruth dismissed them pleasantly and turned to greet another of the arrivals.

“A very powerful presence, Sam.” Penelope said tentatively, not sure how he viewed her.

“She is that, Grandmother. But I’ll let you get to know her for yourself.” He tucked her arm in his and led her down a quiet corridor. “It is good to have you here. The next few weeks should prove interesting, now the Ikiiri have left.”

Before she could ask him what he meant, they turned aside to an open doorway. “Mary, Dakota, may we enter?”

“Come, Doctor Sam, be welcome to our home.” The gray haired woman bowed to them and a little girl came running to throw herself against Sam’s legs. “Dakota!”

But Sam just laughed and picked the little girl up. “Dakota, I’d like you to meet my grandmother. Mary, this is Penelope Hamilton, my father’s mother.”

“Welcome, Mrs. Hamilton.” Mary smiled and motioned to the rug covered bench that served as a sofa.

“Please, call me Penelope. Since we will be roommates very shortly, Mary, I’d hate to be so formal.” She shook hands with her flustered hostess before turning to the little girl with the shy smile. “Dakota, it’s a pleasure to meet you. Is that teddy bear yours?”

She nodded and held it tighter. “She’s called Sari-bear and Doctor Sam gave her to me.”

“Ah, she looks a little like the one I gave to Sam when he was a very little boy even smaller than you.” Penelope smiled at the wide-eyed look Dakota gave her while she tried to picture Sam as a little boy.

“That was a long time ago, right Dr. Sam?” She looked up at him and he began to tickle her into giggles.

“Grandmother. What a surprise.” Peter’s voice came from behind her and she turned to see him bringing in two of her suitcases. A Marine Colonel held her third case and it didn’t take an Einstein to figure out that this must be Seth when she saw Sam’s face melt into a welcoming smile.

“Hello, Peter, you’re looking well.”

“So do you, Grandmother.” He kissed her cheek then spoke past her. “Mary, what room will she be sleeping in?”

“This one, Major. Dakota and I have the two on this side.” The Indian woman motioned to an open doorway.

“Come along, Grandmother. We’ll get you settled in and then I know you’ll be ready for dinner.” He gestured towards the doorway and she walked ahead of him into a room about the same size as the one on Earth but with only a single bed, dresser and table with chairs.

“Lights.” Peter said quietly and the room bloomed into colors. A quilt covered the bed and the runner on the dresser was a beautiful weave of reds and blues.

“How beautiful. Mary, is this your work?” She ran her hands over the red, white and blue material that brightened up the narrow bed.

“Yes. It is one of those that I made last fall. I hope it is all right.” Mary’s voice came from the doorway.

“It’s lovely. I will sleep all the better for its beauty. Just put the suitcases anywhere, my dears.” Taking a deep breath, she turned to the dark haired Colonel and held out her hand. “I’m Penelope Hamilton, Colonel Griffin. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

He straightened from setting the heavy red suitcase down. “The pleasure is mine, Mrs. Hamilton. Welcome to Moon Base.” His eyes traveled to Sam’s and what he saw there gave him his signal. “I’ll see you later at dinner.”

“Sam, why don’t you go ahead and settle in Dr. Freeman? He’s probably champing at the bit to see the science labs.” Peter suggested and placed himself between Penelope and his brother. “I’ll stay and make sure Grandmother gets everything unpacked. We’ll see you in the dining hall for dinner.”

“Good idea. I didn’t even see him. Grandmother surprised me so.” Sam set Dakota down and came to kiss her cheek. “Welcome, Grandmother. I’ll see you later.”

She nodded and watched the two of them leave. It seemed Peter was aware and approved of their affair. Well, she’d let it go for now and see how her oldest grandson was doing. Narrowing her eyes, she watched him promise the little girl to ask one of the Ikiiri for a piggyback ride later. Then they were alone and he was turning to her with that look that reminded her so much of his grandfather.

The one that said he intended to get to the bottom of why she was here. Well, she had her own agenda and she’d see which of them got there first.

*********************


	8. Live at Six, it's your local news

“Yo, Jane, line three.”

“Keep your pants on, Butch.” Jane Hyde finished another sentence and grabbed for the phone, tucking it between her cheek and shoulder. “Shoot, it’s your dime.”

For a moment there was silence, then a woman’s voice came over the line. “Ms. Hyde?”

“That’s me. Is this Amazing Grace? I’ve got the release form right here. I can drop it off at eight at the club where we met last night.” Jane corrected another typo while she waited for a response.

“No, I’m not Grace. My name is Ruth and I believe you expressed an interest in coming up to Moon Base.”

“Yeah right, and I’m the Mayor of Boston. Is this you, Feinstein? You move in on my hookers and I’ll make sure you get picked up for real.” She snarled under her breath and retyped the last line for the fourth time.

“Janey? It’s Peter.”

She stopped breathing and typing at the same moment. No one could mistake that voice. That warm, deep voice that had haunted her dreams for years until she stopped dreaming and got on with her life.

“Peter.” Well, at least she hadn’t gone mute.

“Yep, I’m like a bad penny that keeps showing up. How are you, Janey?”

“Fine.” She said automatically. “Are you really on the Moon, Peter?”

“I sure am. We got your application for an interview and I talked Ruth into accepting it. If you still want to, that is.”

She’d never thought so quickly in her life. This was the chance of a lifetime and she wasn’t about to screw it up. “Peter, I’m putting you on hold and heading for my editor’s office. Can you wait for two minutes?”

“Sure, honey, no problem.” He chuckled and she closed her eyes at the memories that brought back.

“I’ll be right back.” She hit hold and sat for a moment, shaking in her chair. After all this time, she obviously still felt something for the man she’d dated right after college. Taking a deep breath, she made a mental list of what had to be done and pushed back her desk chair. Heading for the senior editor’s office, she didn’t wait for the great man’s secretary to announce her but just barged right in.

“What the . . .” David Elliot looked up from a script and frowned.

“You’re going to want to hear this, Sir. Put line three on speaker. Please.”

Narrowing the piercing blue eyes under the shaggy eyebrows he’d made into his trademark on prime time news, he pushed speaker and then hit the lighted button. “This is David Elliot. To whom am I speaking?”

“Sir, I’m Major Peter Hamilton on Moon Base. We would like to have your reporter Janey Hyde come to the Moon and do a series of articles on our new settlement.”

He looked at Jane and she nodded. “Peter, you’re on speaker. Is Ruth still there?”

That rich voice came through the speaker with a laugh. “Yes, Jane, I’m still here.”

Even though she couldn’t be seen, Jane blushed. “Sorry about the hooker thing earlier.”

“No problem. The question is are you free to come to Moon Base?”

“Yes, she is.” The editor said quickly. “We’d also need to send a camera crew and another reporter along.”

“The camera crew is fine but why another reporter? Do you not trust your own reporter?”

“With a story this big, I wouldn’t trust me to get everything. It’s not a reflection on Jane. Actually, I was thinking that I might tag along.” Jane snickered at the look of absolute want on her editor’s face.

“Well, I think that would be fine. There are some ground rules though, David. You’ll want to think carefully before you accept our offer.”

“And they are?”

“Some of our citizens may not want to be interviewed and I must have your word that if they say ‘no’ then you will cease and desist.”

“Doable. What else?”

“Some of our technology is experimental and there will be places on the base that you will not be allowed. We’re also actively mining at the moment and some parts will not be safe for cameras or crew.”

“All right. Anything else?”

“Your camera crew will need to bring their own batteries because our electrical current is DC. Unless they have cameras and microphones that run on direct current, then they could plug them in to recharge.”

“Again, I don’t see a problem.” David spoke while writing down notes.

“Have you questions for us?” The voice held a chuckle.

“How long can we stay?” Jane asked.

“As long as you need to. We have the facilities to broadcast from here so you can edit as you go. Anything else?”

Jane shrugged her shoulders and David shook his head before speaking. “When do you want us?”

“When can you be ready?”

“It’s Wednesday afternoon,” David flipped the pages of his desk calendar. “How about Friday morning?”

“Done. Come to the Air National Guard Base at 0600. Bring ID and they’ll let you through. I’ll call again tomorrow to see if you have any questions. Is there a direct line to you, David?”

Jane sat back and took a deep breath while her editor finalized the call. She was going to the moon . . . in two days . . . where Peter was. She couldn’t decide how she felt about that.

“Well, Jan-n-ey.” Her editor exaggerated her name. “What kind of history do you have with this guy? And why didn’t I know about it before he called?”

“I put in a request for an interview on their web site, along with about every reporter in the known world. Would you buy luck of the draw?” She pasted on a fake smile.

He snorted. “No. Janey.”

She grimaced. “Okay, enough with the nickname. We grew up together. His brother Sam and I were born within a month of each other. Peter is two years older. We tagged after him all the time. Drove him nuts.” She smiled faintly at the memories of sunny days playing cowboys and Indians through the back yards down by the creek. “Then we all grew up and went our separate ways.”

“Anything else you’d like to share, Jane?” His voice was gentle and his gaze kind.

“Aside from being engaged to him for a year, I can’t think of anything.” She took a deep breath and quelled the flash of longing. “Nothing that will get in the way of the story. I can promise you.”

“Okay. Fair enough. I’ll need to let the station manager know and clear it with the owners. I’m thinking of taking Arnie and his men for the camera crew. Any objections?” He waited a moment and when she shook her head, nodded decisively. “Then finish up what you’re working on. See me tomorrow afternoon, same time, same place.”

She nodded and left for her desk. Sitting down heavily, she looked at herself in her computer monitor. There was the same old reflection of curly black hair, pert nose, green eyes and high cheekbones that she saw every morning in the bathroom mirror. But the woman who wore them so confidently still had some of that twenty-three year old pain buried deep inside of her. Ten years was as nothing when she remembered handing back his ring and telling him she wouldn’t take second place to his flying.

It had been the right decision but sometimes the what-might-have-been came back to haunt her. Jan shook her head and went doggedly back to her story about the Fifth Street prostitutes who she’d been interviewing for the past ten days. These human-interest stories were her slice of the TV reporting pie and she was good at them. With a supreme effort of will, she put the ultimate story on hold in her brain and finished up the hookers.

******************** 

The van drove up to the security gate armed with soldiers with guns. They all had photo ID’s on and the guards went through the entire van and all their bags with a fine tooth comb. When David asked why, they just smiled and quoted the regulations. Jan exchanged a long look with her editor. It looked like there might be more than one story here.

They had an escort down to the hangars and more security as they boarded. The Marines were tight-lipped but pleasant. One of them even mentioned how much he’d enjoyed her series on immigrant workers. Jane wondered what they would say if they could speak freely. It was a little game she played with herself, a game of twenty questions. The exercise sometimes gave her just the right query to crack her source open.

But she couldn’t distract herself from the take-off and the pressure pressing her into the seat for a few moments. Then it was gone and she turned her head to watch the sky slowly turn black. _I’m in outer space, in a space ship crewed by eight foot tall aliens. Purple aliens. This story has Pulitzer Prize all over it._ Smiling, she settled back and watched the Marines lounging on the makeshift seats. 

Taking a good look at the seat she was sitting in, she realized that they were from an Earth airplane. Even better, they were from first class.

“Beats the hell out of a domestic flight.” David smiled at her before giving low voiced instructions to their cameraman. Raising his voice, he addressed the Marine nearest him. “Is it all right to film the interior of this ship?”

“Sure, no problem. Ardol, our pilot, loves being photographed.” He grinned.

“Excellent.” David released himself and stood up. “The ship has gravity.”

“Yeah. It can be turned off if you want but it might be better if you’re going to be filming to leave it alone.”

David agreed fervently and Jane hid her smile. The next hour passed pleasantly enough while they explored the ship, heard a safety briefing and asked questions of the Marines and their pilot. She quickly grew used to the hissing syllables and her notes reflected the unexpected sense of humor of the alien flyer. She didn’t know why she was surprised. It was a little lowering to admit to herself that she’d expected them to be more ‘alien’, not less.

Wrinkling her nose, she made a mental note to work on that prejudice. But before she could ask further questions, they were told to strap back in and prepare for landing. She could feel her palms sweat and couldn’t decide if it was because of their destination or the people.

_Peter_ , the treacherous little voice inside her mind said. 

_Be quiet. He’s just an old friend_ , she reminded herself.

_Old lover_ , the little voice said.

_I’m not listening_ , she chanted to the interfering voice. _I’m here to do a job that I’m good at. Interview the new inhabitants of the Moon and get a good story. That’s it._ And mentally, she went over the list she and David had created the previous afternoon. What to ask, who to talk to, how to approach people. They hadn’t known how much time they might have at the Base so they wanted to optimize their stay.

While waiting in the air lock for the inner door to release, she could hardly quell the flutter in her stomach. When the hatch slowly opened, the first person she saw was her old playmate, Sam.

“Janey!” He grinned and hugged her tightly. “Oh, it’s so good to see you again. What’s it been, two or three years?”

“As you well know, it was the big 3-0 party that Liz threw for me.” She hugged him back and remembered how she’d been afraid the broken engagement would alienate her from the rest of the family. But not from Sam, never from her first friend. “It is so good to see you. I’ve got lots of questions.”

He laughed out loud and left his arm around her shoulder before turning them both to the others who were waiting. “That will never change, my friend. Thank goodness. Let me introduce you to Ruth.”

“Jane Hyde. Don’t pay any attention to what this character has told you about me.” She held out her hand and accepted a firm handshake from the no-nonsense woman before her. The pictures hadn’t done Ruth justice, she decided. The scarring had healed to the point that it resembled an exotic tattoo pattern over her face and down her throat. The eye patch was a little disconcerting but then, so was the silver eye that studied her in return.

“Welcome to our home. Why don’t we get started in the command center with your safety briefing?” She gestured down the long curving hall and fell into step with David. “I know you had one on Earth but the one thing we can not stress enough is safety. This is an alien environment with no air but what we can produce.”

“We realize that and I promise that we’ll observe all the rules. Our story’s no good to us if we’re not alive to tell it.” David looked down into the face by his side and Jane watched the little quirk come and go on the still lips.

“How have you been, Janey? Sometimes it feels like we’ve been cut off here for years instead of just six weeks.” Sam gazed down at her and she returned his look.

“I’m doing what I always told you I would be doing when I grew up. Writing, trying to make living conditions a little better for those who can’t help themselves, you know. All those dreams I used to spin for you in our tree house. And how about you? How did you wind up being a doctor on the Moon?” She turned the question back to him.

“It’s a long story. Sure there isn’t something else you want to ask first?” Those blue eyes looked into her heart the way they had done for so many years.

“Is he all right? Flying, I expect.”

“He’s in seventh heaven. We’ve converted the first two ships for humans and so far, he’s gotten as far as Mars before coming back home.”

“Home? Do you really think of this place as home?”

“Oh, yes.” His eyes went to someone in the room they were entering. “Home is where the heart is and for the moment, that’s right here. Let me introduce you to some of the others. Marag, here’s the woman I first told my desire to be a doctor to.”

“Welcome, Jane. Sam has been so excited about you coming.” 

Jane shook hands and thought that she’d never seen a more beautiful woman in her life. Tall, shapely and well-endowed, Marag made her feel like a shrimp. “Well, I’m here and very glad to meet you. The nicest thing about this settlement is the fact that families instead of just soldiers are the ones settling in.”

“Yes, Ruth feels very strongly the future belongs to the children of Earth. Peace instead of war, love instead of hate. Hopefully, we can grow towards that ideal.” She smiled and went to welcome the camera crew.

Sam was steering her to a small knot of people and she wondered at the mix of ages. One was obviously the Commander wearing a full Marine uniform and towering over Ruth. The other was a short rather frail looking man who stood at Ruth’s shoulder. The two men couldn’t be more opposite and yet . . . something told her they shared more than they differed. Intrigued, she promised herself a talk with both of them.

“Colonel Griffin, this is Janey Hyde, my best friend while I was growing up.”

Green eyes met hers and his smile was wide and genuine. Holding out his hand, he shook hers with the firm grip she was coming to expect from this crew. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Jane. Please call me Seth. We’re not as bound up here by the military protocol as we were on Earth.”

“I’m looking forward to our interview, Seth.” Jane allowed herself to acknowledge the sex appeal of this formidable man with a slight lowering of her voice.

Sam twitched at her side and she caught a look between the two of them that intrigued her. There were all kinds of cross currents here she was really looking forward to untangling. Sam introduced her next to the elderly man who was never far from Ruth’s side. His faded blue eyes were kind and she felt instantly comfortable with him.

For the next hour, she met more people than she’d met in a month on Earth. Lunch in the dining hall was noisy but fun while she watched the children serve their elders with painstaking care. The four year old girl who brought her more tea was a little doll and her smile grew a mile wide when she brought more cookies for the entire table but especially for Sam seated next to her.

He teased her before sharing a cookie with her, alternating bites until it was all gone. Jane watched with tender eyes while her friend hugged the little sprite. She’d always thought he would make a good father and not for the first time, she wondered why she hadn’t fallen in love with him. But she just grinned and shook her head. ‘Friends first, last and always’ that was what they’d promised the summer they were ten.

And it was still true today. 

After lunch, the crew split up with half of the cameras following her while the other half went with David. She sat in on one of the classes and watched the children get involved with a science experiment on the effect of radiation on plants. She learned as much as they did and followed Dr. Reinbeau back to the laboratory where the real experiments were going on.

Most of what he was saying went right over her head but he had a knack at translating the terms to colloquial English that would show up great on the small screen. When they were finished in the lab, they went next door to Sam’s sickbay and were lucky to catch a patient just being treated for a nasty burn. After getting his permission, they took a few shots of Sam and the patient plus a commentary on the mining hazards that went along with working in an oxygen rich environment.

Sam finished wrapping the gauze bandage around his patient’s arm and Jane sent the camera crew ahead to their next scheduled stop while she took down the vital statistics of the man who’d be on the news tonight. Jim Horn was an Apache and proud of his heritage. 

Just as she was getting ready to follow her crew, Ruth walked into the room and came straight to the diagnostic bed and the suddenly sheepish patient. “What happened?”

Sam and Jim told the story in alternating voices while she held Jim’s bandaged arm with both hands. Jane could tell that more was going on in the room under the cover of their words, she just couldn’t tell what it was. Ruth shook her head and spoke so softly Jane couldn’t hear her. Jim nodded and hopped down off the bed, giving Jane a cheerful smile on his way out.

But she was concentrating on Sam and the small woman he’d taken into a bear hug. His words didn’t make any sense but she filed them away for further study. “If I have to I’ll tell Grandmother Penelope on you. Trust me, you don’t want me to do that.”

“Oh, my god, is she up here too?” Jane said with a gasp.

Sam’s eyes twinkled over Ruth’s head. “She came up Christmas day and has been terrorizing us all ever since.”

Ruth released herself from Sam’s arms with the little quirk of lips that passed for her smile. “It’s not nice to talk about your grandmother like that. I may have to have a little talk with her myself.”

He cowered back as if terrified. “Oh, please, not the Inquisition.”

Jane laughed out loud at the reminder of the summer they’d memorized whole skits of Monty Python shtick. The Spanish Inquisition had been one of their favorites. Ruth chuckled and came to her side. “Come along, Jane. We’ll leave the comedian to his reports.”

“Oh sure, rub it in about the paperwork. See you at dinner, Janey . . . I mean Jane.”

Jane chuckled again and followed Ruth from the room. “Was that your first accident?”

“No, we’ve had our share of muscle strains and the occasional burn. Thankfully, that’s it so far. I’d like to think that we could be accident free but that’s not very realistic, is it?” Her gaze was mesmerizing and Jane found herself blinking. “Would you like to share a cup of tea with me?”

There was something about this woman that drew her like a magnet, charisma or perhaps just that feeling of déjà vu, as if they’d met before. She nodded and Ruth turned them down a corridor that hadn’t been on the original tour. When they entered the suite of rooms, Joe was just placing a teapot and cups on the round table nestled into an alcove.

“There you are, mi’lady, fresh and hot. I’ll be seeing you later at dinner, Miss Hyde. Enjoy your tea.” He bowed his head to them and left quietly.

“I’m sensing a story here, Ruth.” Jane took a seat and watched her sit down across from her.

Pouring out the fragrant golden tea into the two glass cups, Ruth nodded. “His story is interesting and one that shows the strength of a belief in powers greater than ourselves. He tells it well so some time during your stay, you must approach him.”

“I’ll make a note of it.” Jane cradled the cup in her cool hands. “What was it that you wanted to talk about, Ruth?”

That little smile was back. “Sam was right, you are sharp as a tack. Will meeting Peter again be awkward?”

Jane flinched and took a hasty sip of hot tea almost burning her mouth. “Um, I don’t know. When I first heard his voice on the phone, it was like the last ten years didn’t exist and I was that hurt 23 year old who’d just broken her engagement. I thought I’d dealt with the emotions but they popped right back up.”

Ruth nodded and waited for her to continue. Jane wasn’t sure what else to say.

“I know the feeling, Jane. When I was young, I was in love with the most wonderful man in the world. We were engaged but we had time for me to finish college and do some traveling before we settled down. All the dreams young lovers dream were ours. When he was killed in an accident, I thought I’d die from the pain. But years went by and I healed, opened my heart again and got on with my life. But to this day, I’ll hear a voice or see a blond profile and that bitter-sweet pain rises up as if it were yesterday.”

Jane was nodding and blinking back tears at the same time. “That’s it, exactly. It may be awkward at first but we’re not the same people we were then and we’ll have to find our way to a new . . . understanding of each other.”

“And who knows, you may find you have grown up and can have an even better relationship than your younger selves had. Time has a way of leading us to the people we need in our lives.” She took another sip. “Just like this community which has grown with so many diverse people drawn to our promise.”

“Was it planned or did people just . . . show up when you needed them?” Jane blew her nose and stuffed the Kleenex back in her pocket.

“Very good, Jane. That’s exactly what happened. The people we need are drawn to us and somehow get through the barriers we’ve raised to keep out those who don’t see our dream.”

“I’ve heard about the dreams. Past lives drawing your settlers to you from near and far.” Jane wished she could pull out her notebook but this talk seemed too personal to write down.

But before Ruth could answer her, a voice came over the speakers set into the ceiling. “Ruth, they’re back. Fifteen minutes until landing.”

“Coming.” She stood and beckoned Jane up. “Well, it’s time to meet your past, Jane. Peter’s flight is just back from the Asteroid Belt. Are you ready?”

Jane took a deep breath and nodded. “Ready as I’ll ever be.”

**********************


	9. Lover's Meetings

Peter docked his ship carefully, went through his post flight checklist and finally sat back with a sigh. He hadn’t had collywobbles like that since he first soloed in his Dad’s ancient Piper Cub. Stretching all over, he hit the comm button.

“Hey, Solantha. How’d I do?”

“Ninety nine of one hundred. You ssslipped too clossse to that last asssteroid.”

“Yeah, I know. I got so interested in the readings, I forgot where I was for a moment.”

“It only takesss one moment to kill you.”

“I’ll do better, I promise.”

“It isss sssomething all human pilotsss will need to watch.”

“Yes, it is. Maybe two man crews for awhile, one to watch the science instruments and one to fly.”

“Agreed, Peter. Jossshua isss due for hisss flight to the asssteroidsss.”

“I’ll sit down with him before tomorrow. Make sure he knows what to watch out for. Are you going to chose another path for him or keep this one?”

“Another. I think we mussst guard againssst complacccencccy.”

“Got’cha, big guy. We’d better get inside before everybody eats our dinner.”

“It isss lasssagna tonight. We mussst hurry.”

Peter laughed all the way into the airlock where his Ikiiri flight trainer, Solantha, joined him. Talking about the flight, he almost missed the opening door and the people waiting for him. His gaze found Ruth first as he always did when he was returning from a flight. But when he saw Jane beside her, the rest of them all faded away. He’d thought he was ready for this but seeing her brought him up short.

She looked just as she always had. Curly black hair framing the heart shaped face he’d once known so well. The green eyes were somber and seemed to question him the same way he questioned himself. Who are you now? Is there anything left of our love? Can we do this again?

“Janey.” He found himself by her side, his right hand meeting her left, palm to palm. It felt like the last ten years hadn’t happened.

“Peter. How was your flight?” Her voice was brisk and she stepped back just far enough to put a more comfortable distance between them.

And that hurt.

“Great. Solantha graded me down for being inattentive.” He dragged his eyes away from her to meet Ruth’s amused gaze. “We got the samples for Dr. Reinbeau. They’re in the forward hatch.”

“Excellent, Peter. I’ll have him notified right away. Why don’t you and Solantha get cleaned up?” Her gaze shifted to the tall Ikiiri. “I promise we’ll save you some lasagna.”

“Yesss, we will hurry.” The green Ikiiri’s eyes whirled with excitement.

“I’ll see you later, Janey.” He hadn’t felt this awkward in years. But he took her faint smile as a promise they would speak privately. “Come on, big guy.”

******************* 

He stepped out of the sonics and wished for the hundredth time that water rationing wasn’t so necessary. Pulling on his robe and brushing his hair in front of the mirror, he looked at himself. Same old straw colored hair, a little longer than regulation length. He had little crow’s feet around his blue eyes and the wrinkle between his eyes was more prominent than it had been in his twenties. Otherwise, he didn’t think he’d changed at all.

Was that a bad thing or a good thing? He couldn’t decide.

“Peter, are you coming out or are you just going to admire yourself in the mirror for awhile?” Sam leaned in the doorway and grinned.

“I have changed, haven’t I?” He met the eyes so like his own in the mirror. “Grown up, matured or something?”

“Neither of you are the person you were ten years ago, Peter. If it wasn’t right then, who knows, maybe it’s right now. I know if I’d met Seth when I was younger, we might not be together now.” Sam shrugged, happiness painting his face with joy.

“Have I told you how very happy I am for you?” Peter turned and took two steps to give his brother a hug. “You deserve the very best and I think you got him.”

Sam returned the hug. “Yes, I did. But that doesn’t mean your ‘very best’ isn’t waiting for you out there somewhere.”

“Maybe. She said she wouldn’t take second place to my flying.” Peter let go and wandered into his room, knowing Sam would follow. “And I’m still flying and just as concentrated on it as I was then.” Rummaging through his dresser, he pulled out fresh boxers and his black jeans.

“Wear the blue sweater that Grandma Sophie knitted for you. It brings out the blue in your eyes.” Sam advised from the foot of the bed where he’d perched. “As to your flying, I think the problem was you had a mission and she didn’t. Her mother was the one pushing for an early wedding. She’s gone on and carved out a career for herself, a very good career that feeds her passion to help society and the individuals in it. She and I have the same desire, we just went about it differently.”

Peter nodded and finished dressing. “I know. But her career is back on Earth not here. And here is where I’m going to be for the near future. First the solar system then exploring the other side of the worm hole.”

“Well, I didn’t find my heart’s desire until I was 45, so I don’t think you have to rush into anything.” Seth’s voice came from the doorway and Peter watched while Sam sprang from the bed and went straight into the arms waiting for him. 

That was what he wanted, someone to touch and hold. Someone who wanted him as much as he wanted them. Was that so much to ask? Grinning, he buckled on his watch and gave his hair another brushing to give the two lovebirds time to break their clinch.

“Come on, you guys. We’ve got Marag’s lasagna waiting for us.” He finally raised his voice and watched them split apart slowly.

“You go ahead and I’ll follow after I’ve cleaned up.”

“I could stay and help.” Sam said brightly.

“Then we’d miss dinner and give Jane something to think about.” Seth chided him gently, his hand still caressing Sam’s cheek.

“Then shave so I don’t have to explain away stubble burn to her tomorrow.” Sam teased him with a last sultry look.

Seth just laughed and headed for the bathroom while the two brothers went in search of food. The line was long, as it always was when Marag made her lasagna. The garlic scent from the bread wafted to them and Peter was suddenly ravenous. The emotions could wait until he’d filled his stomach. Mary Two Feathers filled his plate for him and he teased her about contributing to his waistline. She just laughed and patted her own stomach.

There were three chairs left at Ruth’s table, one of which was right by Janey. He corrected his name for her mentally. Jane, she preferred Jane, he chanted over and over while he smiled and sat down by her. She smiled at him but kept on eating. The older man sitting by Ruth must be her editor, David something. He hadn’t been very faithful at watching the news for the last few years. He had his Internet account set up so he just got the stories that fit his keywords.

But one of those keywords was ‘Jane Hyde’ so he’d read every story she’d ever filed. The old guy was asking Ruth about the mining and when he mentioned the accident, Peter shot a look across the table to Sam.

“Not bad. Jim Horn just got a burn. He’ll be fine.”

“I suppose Ruth showed up to help.”

Sam just nodded and Peter made a mental note to make sure he hugged her before he turned in for the night. Every time somebody got hurt, she expended her own energy to speed up the healing and she was stubborn about asking for help to replace it. So those of them who knew about her healing powers made sure they were extra touchy-feely with her until she was balanced again.

“I don’t suppose you’d like to share that cryptic little exchange with me?” Jane’s voice was pitched to reach the two of them and no one else.

“No, not now.” Peter said and just kept eating.

“That’s all right. We’ll be here for a week. I can wait.” She took another bite and went back to listening to the conversation at the other end of the table.

Seth sat down by Sam and Peter watched Jane’s gaze turn a little flirtatious. He realized he really didn’t know her now at all. But he was also petty enough to want to be there when she realized Seth was taken. Unless that interfered with her friendship with Sam and suddenly he was worried about that.

“What haven’t you seen yet, Jane?” Seth said after his first blissful bite was swallowed.

“Hydroponics, water storage and the rest of the command center.” She answered, sipping at her hot tea. “Also, the mining being done and I’d love to go flying again.”

“Would you like me to show you hydroponics?” Peter asked tentatively.

“That would be nice, Peter. Perhaps later this evening?”

“Okay. It’s a . . . an appointment.” He finished lamely having almost said ‘date’.

She just nodded and went back to finishing her dinner. Sam sent him a ‘way to go buddy’ look and Seth just smiled. Peter thought ruefully, he was going to be teased unmercifully until this was resolved. And at the moment, he didn’t know what he wanted the ending result to be. He hadn’t been this wishy-washy in years.

They made stilted conversation at his end of the table and he found himself wishing for a diversion. Anything at all would do, he cast out the wish to the universe. And right on cue, a shriek sounded from the kitchen. Looking over, he saw Wolf back from Earth bending Marag over his arm in a deep kiss. Laughing, he shook his head and went back to mopping up the red sauce with his last piece of garlic bread.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Jane throw Sam a questioning look, seemingly confused at the by-play between the two lovers in the kitchen. For a moment, he wondered why then caught a look between his brother and Seth that clued him in. For some reason, Jane thought Sam and Marag were an item. He couldn’t wait to find out how that had happened.

Laughter followed the entwined pair while they made their escape from the dining hall and Peter sat back to take a look around to see if Joshua Clemens was eating. Seeing him across the hall, he told Jane he’d be right back and crossed to the table where four of the astronauts were sitting. Telling him it was his turn to solo with Solantha the next day, he stopped to answer some questions then left them to their evening.

Returning to Ruth’s table, he asked Jane if she was ready for her tour of the hydroponics lab. She said good night to David and Ruth before getting up from the table. Sam gave him a discrete thumbs up before he turned away to walk along side his former fiancée. He’d never had so much trouble talking to anyone in his life.

“It’s all right, Peter. I don’t know what to say either.” She cast a glance up at him. “Ten years seems like an eternity right now. But when I first saw you . . . it was just like yesterday. Ruth told me that feeling never completely goes away.”

“Ruth said that?” He kept walking but his thoughts darted to what he knew of her past. “That’s odd. She never said much about her past except for the whole accident and asylum stuff. But you’re not talking about one of her other lives, are you?”

“I don’t think so. It sounded like something that happened when she was young this time around.” Jane looked at him curiously. “Who was the bearded guy kissing Marag?”

“Wolf or rather Simon Hughes, former Marine, currently our resident go-between for supplies on Earth. He and Marag are very much in love. I envy them.” He stopped at the doorway that led into the hydroponics bay. “We’ve got a barrier here that’s a little different. It’s going to feel like something is tugging at your clothes but it’s harmless.”

She looked at the opalescent shimmer with a doubting eye but once he stepped through, she took a deep breath and came after him. “Wow, that was weird. What is it?”

“The Atlantean version of screening.” Peter shrugged and pointed to the crystals imbedded in all four sides of the doorway. "We imported bees to help in pollinating the plants and didn’t want them getting out into the rest of the Base. Ruth came up with it from her first life and Wolf found the crystals to put it into effect.”

“Did they share a life in Atlantis?” Jane walked slowly through the winding path that led through the plants.

“Yes, as did Joe and Marag.” Peter hesitated to say more, wondering if she was putting two and two together.

“What life did you share with her?” Those green eyes skewered him where he stood.

“I didn’t.” He really didn’t know if he could tell her about the dreams with the Goddess.

“Really? How interesting, Peter. I’m guessing Sam and Seth shared a life with her though.” She leaned over to sniff an orange blossom on one of their dwarf fruit trees.

“Yes, the second meeting with the Ikiiri in ancient Greece. She was a Cretan Queen about the time that Thira blew up.”

“And who were Sam and Seth?” She rocked back and forth on her heels with her hands clasped behind her back.

“You should probably . . . um, ask Sam.” Peter had never felt so off balance.

“I will. Do you feel as uncomfortable as I do?” Finally, she smiled at him.

“Yes. Nothing’s changed has it? I’m still flying and you’re still ferreting out the truth behind the facades. Your immigrant series was important. I followed it for weeks until you finally had Richardson behind bars. I was so proud of you but I didn’t know if you wanted to hear from me or not.”

“I always wanted to hear from you except for the six months after I broke the engagement when I really wanted you hog-tied over a slow fire, a la Dolly Parton.” She cast him a sly look and they both broke up laughing.

He held out his arms and she came into them with a rush. It felt so good to hold her again. A familiar perfume tickled his nose. “You’re still wearing Chanel No. 5.”

“Nothing but the best.” She rested her head on his chest over his heart. “I want to stay friends, even if we can’t be lovers.”

“I’d like that, Janey.” He grimaced. “Sorry, old habit. I’d like that, Jane.”

“I don’t mind it so much when we’re alone but it definitely freaks me out in public. I thought I'd die of embarrassment when David used it after your phone call.”

“How is he to work for?” Peter turned them towards his favorite part of the bay, the herb garden.

“I’ve learned a lot from him these last three years. He’s professional but in his own way, he’s as much a crusader as I am. He backed me to the hilt on the immigrant story. It’s because of him it ever saw the light of day.” She kept on talking while he guided them through their green space. They weren’t the only ones enjoying a stroll and they greeted each person with a nod before moving on.

They strolled back into the center of the Base, arm in arm. In the control room, they met back up with David and the camera crew. Peter could feel the tension in the room and he looked to Seth for an explanation. He grimaced and slightly tilted his head towards Jamie McGee and the computer screen behind him.

“Well, it’s been a long day and we’ve got quite a bit planned for you tomorrow. How about Sam shows you all to the guest suites so you can settle in? Your luggage is already there.” To any one else, Seth would appear his normal genial self but Peter knew better. Sam ushered them out with a smile and a quip about the nonexistent night life. Jane said she’d be right along. Once they were gone, all eyes came to Jane

“I don’t suppose that I can talk you into leaving as well?” Seth asked Jane.

“Not unless it’s a state secret of galactic proportions. Sam is worried. I could see it in his eyes.” Jane leveled that green eyed gaze at the base commander who met it with one of his own.

“It’s all right, Seth. Perhaps Jane can think of a solution to our little problem.” Ruth broke the tense silence. “You may have noticed our security is pretty tight."

“The double checks of our luggage at the base. And you probably went through it again when you off loaded it.” Jane walked over to Seth, followed closely by Peter and he moved away from the monitor to let her see the message on the screen.

**“The Whore of Babylon must be punished. Death to Her and all Her Works.”**

Peter felt the same intense anger he’d felt when they’d gotten the first message. He hated the coward who hid behind anonymous e-mails. “From the New York Public Library again?”

“No, this time it’s from the Chicago Public Library. Right at 3:15 when all the kids hit the Glenview branch.” Jamie said with a sigh. “He or she is taking no chances and the Yahoo profile changes each time. It could be one person or a group of people who hate us.”

“So far, your encryption is holding, right?” Seth stood at the head computer technician’s shoulder. “And the virus protection as well?”

“Hey, you hired the best. McGee and Associates are always a step ahead. And we’re working on something special for these guys.” His normal wide grin turned feral.

Ruth laid a hand on his shoulder. “I know you’re working wonders, Jamie. But it may be time for me to go down and confront my opponents.”

“No!” The simultaneous shout from Jamie, Seth, Joe and Peter echoed in the room. 

Seth cleared his throat and shot a glance at Peter. “What we mean is, we need a little more time to figure out who is behind this.”

“Besides, we’ll be able to announce the creation of our new Fleet after Joshua solos tomorrow.” Peter waved the red herring in front of Ruth. “After all, it’s early in this whole process. Anonymous messages are usually written by people too cowardly to do anything about it.”

Jane backed him up. “He’s right, Ruth. I got quite a few anonymous letters while I was working on the Ku Klux Klan story. They just let off steam that way. They were nasty to read but nothing physical. Who’s your head of security?”

“My Marines have been handling it so far but sooner or later, we’re going to have to pull in some professionals.” Seth was as solemn as Peter had ever seen him.

An uncomfortable silence followed while they all looked at each other.

“Well, I’ve got a suggestion if you won’t think I’m being too pushy?” Jane said hesitantly. At Ruth’s nod, she continued. “While I was pursuing the illegal alien story, I had to get one of my witnesses to a safe house. I wasn’t sure about where to stash her until the trial started. Witness Protection was right out since she didn’t trust anybody in the government. A friend gave me the name of an organization who did security work. They aren’t your average detective agency.” She hesitated again, her eyes moving from Seth to Peter and back again. “The Lionesse Agency out of New Haven.”

“I’ve heard of them.” Wolf’s voice came from over his shoulder and Peter moved to one side to let him into their circle. “They’ve got a good reputation for playing it close to the vest. Once they take a job, they’re loyal to the end.”

“Should we hire them to winnow out this problem?” Ruth’s face was neutral and Peter could tell this was a decision she would leave to them.

“I think so. The problem is on Earth for the moment and I’d like to leave it there, not take a chance on importing it up here.” Seth cast his vote.

“Agreed.” Wolf nodded.

“I know a computer tech who works there and he’s good.” Jamie nodded.

“Hiring the best saves us time.” Peter chipped in his two cents worth.

“Then we’re agreed. Jane, if you will give Seth the name of who he should contact, we’ll start the ball rolling.” Ruth nodded decisively.

“He’s in my address book. If I had access to my computer, it would be easier.” Jane frowned.

“Hey, no problem. KKRS, right?” Jamie’s fingers danced over the keyboard. “What have you named your computer? Jane Hyde, I’ll bet. Yep, here you are.”

He wheeled away from the screen and she took his place. Everyone looked away while she typed in her password and accessed her address book. “Martin Hewitt. Here’s his number.”

With a quick look at the screen, Jamie hit the keypad in quick succession. “Who’s going to talk?”

“Ruth, do you want me to talk to him? Or do you want to?” Seth asked politely.

“I think I’d better, Seth. I seem to be the focus of the threats.”

“Hewitt.”

“Mr. Hewitt, you have been recommended to us by Jane Hyde. We are in need of your expertise.”

“To whom am I speaking?”

“Ruth from Moon Base.”

“You have got to be joking.”

“No, I’m not. We have a security threat on Earth with which we could use some help.” Ruth motioned Jane over.

“Martin, it’s Jane Hyde. You really are speaking to Ruth. David Elliot and I are on the Moon for a series of news stories. The threat is real.”

“I see. All right, I’m listening. What kind of threat are we talking about?”

Jane stepped back and Ruth took her place with Seth at her side. Peter watched her smother a yawn and slipping an arm around her shoulders, he guided her closer to the door. 

“Ready to turn in? The story will still be here tomorrow.” He dropped his voice.

Her eyes went to the group around the computer then back to him. “All right. Where am I sleeping tonight?”

“Next door to David and the camera crew. You’ve got your own bathroom and I can tell you the one thing you have to know about sonic showers.”

“What’s that?” She shot him a skeptical look.

“Never . . . ever . . . open your mouth if you have a metal filled cavity. It’s guaranteed to send you straight to Mars.” He said solemnly, only at the last moment giving into the grin.

She just laughed and he guided her away, taking a last look at the others. Ruth stood as still as a statue beside Seth, her profile straight out of a museum . . . a Greek museum. Her eye moved to him and she smiled, nodding goodnight to them.

Sighing, he turned down the corridor to the guest suites. At least, he’d managed to salvage his friendship with Jane. Now if this whole thing didn’t blow up in their faces, he mused. Maybe, they could get back to the important things. Like exploring the Moon and flying a little further out.

Say to Jupiter and back.

**********************


	10. Recharging

Wolf slid off his robe and threw it on the chair by his bed, sliding gently in beside Marag and tenderly kissing a satin shoulder before lying all the way down. He felt restless but didn’t want to wake her. The planning session had taken awhile and he still wasn’t sure what had him so spooked. There was that cold finger of doubt up his spine because of . . . something said or done. He went back over who said what and tried to mentally see them like actors in a play.

“Wow, you really are concentrating.” Marag’s sleepy voice wafted up from her pillow and he felt a gentle kiss on his arm, right over the crooked scar from the last mortar attack. “What’s wrong?”

“Another threat.”

“Oh no, not again.” She rose up on one elbow and gazed down at him. “Directed at Ruth, I suppose.”

“Called her the Whore of Babylon and threatened death to her and ‘all her works’. Jane gave us the name of a detective agency she used a while back.”

“You don’t trust them?”

“No, it’s not that. They have a good reputation.” He focused on her face, letting go for a moment the sense of wrongness. Her hair fell over a shoulder like an auburn cascade of pure silk. He loved touching it, carding his hands through it and letting it tickle him in unexpected places. Suddenly he had it. “She gave in too easily. When has Ruth ever taken the easy way out? The safe way?”

“What do you mean, Simon? She always thinks of us first, before herself.”

“I know but she wasn’t surprised by the threats. Not even upset by the first one because it only threatened her. But this one attacked the base so she immediately gave up and allowed us to start planning.” Wolf scowled. “I thought we’d nipped that particular theory of hers in the bud.”

“The ‘I don’t matter’ theory because sooner or later she has to pay for the changes she’s bringing to Earth.” Marag sounded so matter of fact, he gazed at her open- mouthed in amazement. “Only a man would consider for one moment that she’d given up expecting to pay for this advance with her life. She’s no saint, Simon, but she’s the closest thing to a Joan of Arc we have in this day and age. She’s the unexpected leader who challenges the status quo and the established powers of the world. And Earth has never treated those leaders kindly.”

“But we’re all in this together. Each of us doing what we can to build the future.”

“Oh, honey, I do love you.” She leaned down and kissed him tenderly. He could taste the spicy sauce of her lasagna overlaying her own piquant flavor. They feasted on each other for a long moment before she parted their lips and smiled down on him.

“Okay, what am I missing? What are all of us men missing?”

“Ruth truly believes she was only given the memories of her past lives so she could effect a great change in the world. Just as she’s done three times before. And we all know how those lives came out. There is always a price to be paid for every step forward humans take. It’s the price every mother pays when her children leave the nest and strike out on their own.” She trailed her fingers over his chest, tickling the black hairs that grew there in such profusion.

“And we’ve just taken the grand-mother of all steps out into the universe so the price paid will be correspondingly great.” Wolf sighed. “I wish she wasn’t right. But I kind of feel the same way myself. That’s why she brought Father Adam along and encourages the debates in the senior classes. So we have balance between what came before and what will come.”

“Exactly. By the way, have I said thank you yet for the musical instruments?”

“No problem, they were just surplus going to waste.”

“Un-huh. Surplus. Brand-new-with-the-tags-still-on-them surplus. I don’t think so.” She began to tickle him in that treacherous spot on his side and he writhed away from her fingers.

“I give, I give. They were kind of surplus instruments the Red Stallion biker club had set aside for Christmas. But these were left over and so I talked them out of a few.” He grinned sheepishly and wondered why he’d ever thought he could sneak them onto the base without somebody finding out.

“Well, we’ll have the music students write thank you cards for them so they can see what good use they’re being put to. These kids are a positive joy to teach. Some of them have a really good ear for music.” She settled comfortably against his side, snuggled into the crook of his arm with her head a welcome weight on his shoulder. 

“Okay, have you distracted me enough from what we were talking about so we can go back to it?”

“Damn. That usually works with the kids.”

“Did you just call me a kid?” Now it was his turn to rise up on an elbow and smooth his hand over her stomach with a barely concealed intent to tickle.

“No, dear.” She tried for contrite but he could feel her trying to shift out from his hand. Increasing the pressure a bit, he watched her give in and start to talk. “There’s not a lot we can do except watch her like a flock of hawks. She . . . sees things we don’t. Maybe the Goddess is giving her lessons at night or something but she’s committed to this enterprise heart and soul. We just have to make sure that she doesn’t pay for it with either.”

Wolf leaned down and kissed her. “I love you, Marag Campbell. Perhaps this whole thing was just one big matchmaking attempt on the part of the Goddess with Ruth as Her Cupid. I mean, look at the couples she’s brought together.”

Marag’s eyes regained their sparkle. “I saw Penelope arguing with Running Elk this afternoon. Really going at it hammer and tongs about her class in comparative philosophy.”

“Wow. Now that’s not a pairing I would have thought of.” Wolf began a series of light kisses to her eyes, cheek, chin, the hollow of her throat, down to the v-neck of her satin nightgown.

“Could be explosive.” She husked out. “Oh, there. Right there.”

“Here? Or here? Maybe, here?” His lips moved from one breast to the other, suckling her nipples through the soft material. Hands slid under the hem, sliding the nightgown up and over her hips. The calluses on his fingers made her wriggle enough to help him bring the confining material up and over her head.

Her brilliant green eyes went sultry while her hands began to return the caresses. “How about . . . everywhere?”

“Everywhere, it is.” 

*********************** 

The next morning brought Jane Hyde and half the camera crew down the spoke they were just finishing up. Wolf took a moment to rest, watching her speak with Jim Horn while he showed off where his burn had been. He wondered what it was about people with green eyes that they were so good at getting below the surface of things.

When she headed his way, he felt the urge to run and hide but fought it off. _Okay, time for my five minutes of fame._

“Hi, Wolf, or do you prefer Simon?” She didn’t wave a microphone under his nose but she did have her notebook out.

“Wolf is fine, Ms. Hyde. What do you want to know?” He hoped he didn’t come across as defensive as he felt.

“Supplies for a growing community have to be hard to come by. May I ask just what kind of solutions you’ve come up with so far?” She smiled up at him and he relaxed a fraction.

“The big problem is paying for them, not getting them. The water we need has already been stored for the foreseeable future. But our gardens don’t produce nearly enough food to feed the four hundred and sixty five souls we have living here now. And there will be more coming up at the end of the week.” He paused when she opened her mouth then closed it. “Go ahead.”

“Well, there doesn’t seem to be any rhyme or reason for the people who have been selected for Moon Base.”

He couldn’t stop his grin and he motioned her back down the corridor away from the mining equipment that had just started to power up again. Ducking into one of the rooms they’d hollowed out, he drew them all in. “Little quieter here. Now, I’d say half the people here want to be here while the other half are needed here. Living on the Moon has to be one of the top ten fantasies of people who grew up watching the Apollo missions. They fired our imaginations like no other event, except for the fall of the Berlin Wall, ever did. Men and women thought for sure by the year 2000, we’d be in outer space.”

“But it didn’t happen except for the space shuttle missions.” She nodded.

“Exactly. And after the Challenger disaster, most of us put that dream aside. Then some of the scientists said there probably was no intelligent life out there and a little more of the dream died. Until Ruth - until the Ikiiri showed up and widened the universe by a factor of about a billion.” He shook his head and thought back to his own urge to help her. 

“The others tell me you were one of the ones who made first contact?” It wasn’t quite a question.

“Yes, I was. Joe and I got Ruth on her way but when Sam and Seth showed up on her trail, we asked ourselves along. Wouldn’t have missed it for the world.”

“Why did the meeting take place at the North Pole?”

“Because that’s where Ruth was.”

“And why was she there?”

“I don’t know. The Ikiiri don’t like the cold much. And the weather was odd, to say the least. Ruth would know for sure.”

“Fair enough. I’ll ask her myself. Now, getting back to the supply issue.”

The next hour passed quickly while they went over the storage rooms and he detailed some of the avenues of commerce he’d taken. When she left him for a tour of the command center with Seth, he breathed a sigh of relief and said a silent thank you to the universe that he’d already shut down those supply lines. Her report would provide any enemy with a blueprint of their distribution system that could have been devastating.

Lunch was with Marag and a distracted Peter who was watching the clock while Solantha took Joshua on his solo flight out to the asteroids. He offered a job to keep him busy and Peter took him up on it. The mining equipment did the main job of boring the tunnels wide and tall enough to fit the Ikiiri but the slag left had to be hauled out the old fashioned way for disposal on the moon’s surface. 

One of the astronaut scientists was doing a survey of the slag to see if there were minerals that they could use. Titanium was a useful by-product as well as iron and magnesium. They were going to need a full smelter plant to make the minerals into useful sheets of workable materials. They speculated on setting up a forge for a blacksmith in the not too distant future.

But for now, the slag was hauled to the airlocks off this spoke. They’d been constructed first and set up so the material didn’t have to go through the living quarters. Half the crew had suited up in the same space suits NASA had sent up when the astronauts came. They took the heavy slag on sleds that maneuvered easily in the moon gravity outside and piled it neatly on the other side of the crater they called home.

Crater Plato was aptly named, Wolf thought when he and Peter suited up to take their turn on the outside. Once out from under the dome on the dark surface of the crater floor, looking up at the dark sky overhead made a man wax philosophical. It was three days into the two-week night cycle and with no atmosphere to haze the sky, the stars shone brightly. After they maneuvered the slag into the ever-growing pile, he and Peter took a moment to enjoy the show.

“You should bring Jane out here to see this.” Wolf asked hesitantly, unsure if they’d come to an agreement to forget the past. Somehow, Marag had gotten the whole story of their engagement and what happened after to pass on to him.

“She’d love it. I’m glad that we’ve finally put our past behind us. She’s really something.” Even through the thick eye shield, Wolf could see his smile.

“That’s great. I wonder if the camera crew could get this shot of the night sky with Earth hanging there like a blue-green moon.” 

“They’re good. I’ll bet they could.” Peter smiled again and led them back across the dark moon soil to the air locks. “Did you hear that they’re going to broadcast their first piece tonight? Jane said they were going to edit this afternoon so they could air it at the nine o’clock East Coast prime time.”

“I wonder how it will play on Earth?” Wolf mused while they waited for the outer door to finish cycling open.

The lights whispering overhead interrupted Peter’s reply. They stopped and watched two ships settle gently into their landing bays. A sigh came over Wolf’s communicator and they exchanged a relieved look. This was a big step in the right direction. With two pilots now qualified for flying and a third ship recalibrated for humans, they had the nucleus of a space fleet.

Wolf was rated on a couple of aircraft back home but until now he’d never experienced the urge to fly one of the Ikiiri craft. But watching the sleek round craft glint in the dim earthlight, he suddenly felt that old ache - the ache that whispered to him of far vistas he had yet to explore. He reined it in and put it aside. He had too much to do here and for the first time in a long time someone to share his life with.

Grinning, he followed Peter back into the airlock and the family they were creating anew.

******************** 

“This is David Elliot reporting live from the Moon. Jane Hyde and I with our intrepid camera crew have been here since early Friday and I have to say that we’ve only begun to scratch the surface of this amazing community . . .”

Wolf kept part of his attention on the screen while he tinkered with a portable sonic cleaner. He was trying to find a way to keep it from shocking him across the room if he opened his mouth. There had to be a way and he wasn’t the only one working on it since most of them had a mouth full of metal of one sort or another. 

“Wolf, could I have a moment?” Ruth’s voice broke his concentration.

He looked up to see her hovering in the doorway, an oddly hesitant look on her face. “Sure, come on in. Excuse the mess, please. I’m trying to figure out how to brush teeth with one of these things without inflicting pain at the same time.”

She smiled faintly and sat down across the table. “I have a favor to ask.” Then she stopped and began rubbing her cheek.

He recognized the gesture and realized that she was worried about something. Putting down the equipment, he reached across the table for her left hand. It was ice cold and she snatched it from him quickly.

“Don’t. I’m barely under control as it is.” Her voice was tight and she gripped the edge of the table with white knuckled fingers. “Lenora began to miscarry and I got it stopped but had to almost drain myself to do it. Her little boy is going to be a holy terror when he’s born.” Her faint smile contrasted with the controlled tension of her body. “I need to get back to Earth. Soon. I’ve tried replenishing from the minerals here but I’m not attuned to them. People can only give me so much of their own energy before they begin to be affected.”

“What does Sam say?”

“I haven’t told him and Lenora doesn’t even realize what the cramps meant. She just knows I stopped them from getting worse. You’ve got a re-supply shipment in a couple of hours and I need to be on it.” She closed her eyes and he watched a shudder rack her from head to foot. “You’ll be landing in Jamaica and that’s just about perfect for me. The combination of earth and water should recharge my neural batteries in a couple of hours.”

“All right. But why come to me? Why not just show up and walk aboard?”

“Because my . . . shadows wouldn’t let me go alone. And I need the solitude almost as much as I need to touch Mother Earth.”

“You’re not going to tell them?”

“No.”

“They’ll kill me slowly.” Wolf was appalled at the thought of what might happen to her, especially now the threats were growing in intensity.

“No, they won’t. I told them I needed some meditation time and they promised that short of the sun imploding, they won’t interrupt me.” She sighed and aged before his eyes to an old woman. “Please, Simon, don’t make me hurt all of you with my incessant energy needs. I don’t want to become an energy vampire to my friends.”

Wolf got up to pace the perimeters of the living room filled with some of his furniture and some of Marag’s. He was torn in two directions. Half of him understood what she was asking but the other half could only think of the horrible consequences if something went wrong. When he completed the second circuit of the room, he stopped and sat down heavily.

Now it was his turn to rub his face. “We’re going to have to come up with some kind of disguise for you. Seth always has one of his men check the ship going out and coming in. And they’d all recognize you.”

That faint smile came back. “I have one. I’ll be back here in two hours so I can get ready.” She stood up and had to hold onto the back of the chair for a moment. Shaking her head at the hand he automatically extended, she took a deep breath and released it. “Thank you, Simon. I think I can promise I will come to no harm, Goddess willing.”

He nodded and watched her leave, wondering just how much trouble he was in. The sonic unit could no longer hold his interest and he paced the room, trying to think of something that might take his mind off the coming journey. When Marag entered, he had just about decided to go down to the gym and work out.

“Honey, what’s wrong?” She came to him, holding out her arms and hugging him. He hugged her so tightly she squealed. “What is it, Simon? You’re scaring me, here.”

The inner debate was short and sweet. To tell or not to tell, that was the question. He suddenly felt a kindred spirit with Hamlet. “Ruth needs to get to Earth right away and she doesn’t want anyone to know. I’ve promised to sneak her aboard the supply-run ship.”

“What happened?”

“She stopped Lenora from miscarrying.” He gentled his hold at her gasp. “But she won’t accept our energy because she’s afraid she’ll drain us dry and the moon soil doesn’t renew her like earth and water do.”

“She pays a high price for caring so much.” Marag leaned her head against his shoulder. “If something happens to her . . .”

He shivered. “Tell me about it. But I’m damned if I do and damned if I don’t. She says she has a disguise ready and she’ll be back here at midnight to get prepared.”

“All right. I’ll help her and go along with you.”

Wolf started to protest then bit his tongue. Hard. “Okay, but I don’t like it.”

“I know but she’s going to need someone to watch her back and you can’t. Those supplies are needed too badly and you’re the only one who can handle that end of it.” Marag reached up and kissed him gently. “If I thought I couldn’t help, I’d stay here. But you know I can.”

“I know. Doesn’t make me feel a whole lot better.”

“Well, we have almost an hour and a half. I bet I could make us both feel a whole lot better.” She smiled at him and pulled him towards the bedroom. “I promise.”

****************** 

Wolf kept sneaking peeks at the woman sitting by Marag. If he hadn’t seen Ruth go into the bathroom, he would have never believed this was her. Gone were the black eye patch, short white hair and thin red scars. In their place was a short woman with two brown eyes, a brown pageboy haircut and creamy skin, wearing a denim skirt, a red turtleneck, hose and sandals.

He marveled at the glass eye and contacts that gave her the look of still having two good eyes. The longer hair seemed to change the whole shape of her head and the makeup revealed a woman with dimples when she smiled. Part of him chastised himself for being so superficial while his other half thought about the masks women in his culture chose to wear for their men. 

“Simon . . . yoo-hoo, anyone home?” Marag’s voice teased him.

“Um, yeah. What’s up?” He shifted sheepishly in his chair and hoped Ruth never knew what he had been thinking.

“You need to tell Solantha to drop us off on Windward Island at the south beach before you head on to Jamaica.”

“Right.” He unbuckled and headed to the cockpit to give their pilot the change of course.

Fifteen minutes later, they were hovering two feet over a white sand beach and he was kissing Marag goodbye while trying not to watch Ruth strip off her clothes and wig. The vision he carried with him for the next four hours was of her striding into the warm Caribbean waters. 

The supplies were almost ready at the old hangar smugglers still used from Columbia and further south. He bargained the price down from the grinning merchant he knew from the old days. A tour of the ship and a promise his grandson would be considered for a place on the Moon helped to bring the actual cash amount to a bearable level. 

Although not quite low enough, Wolf contemplated the diminished level of his bank account. He’d floated the base two loans already and his reserves were just about tapped out. Something would have to be done soon about their finances or the supply line would dry up. Maybe they needed to sell stock or float a bond issue or something; he mused while he helped stuff the ship full of as much as it would hold.

What they really needed was a billionaire with a heart of gold.

He said his good-byes and told Solantha to fly south first before switching on their radar scrambler and heading back to the island where they’d left Ruth and Marag. Ten minutes later, Solantha was edging the ship into a clearing about a hundred yards from the beach. They left the ship secured and walked through the gloom of predawn light down to the sound of gentle waves.

Marag was standing on the sand wearing a sarong wrapped around her body. Her greeting was distracted while her eyes never left the water. “Simon, look at her. I’ve never seen her totally relaxed before.”

“Where is . . . oh, my god.” Wolf strained to see the white head. And when he did, he could hardly believe his eyes.

A pod of bottle-nosed dolphins bobbed in and out of the water around her. Their chuckling and her laughter echoed in the still predawn air. Wolf put his arm around Marag and they watched while Ruth played with the sleek shapes that danced half in and half out of the water. As the sun peeked above the horizon, they tried to answer Solantha’s questions about the sea life.

Hearing their voices, Ruth turned and waved. “Come on in. They want to meet Solantha.”

Marag unwrapped her sarong and waded in while Wolf hastily pulled off his clothes. Solantha moved gingerly into the warm waters, splashing through the blue-green waves until he was in up to his neck. Ruth moved closer, chirruping to her swimming companions who gazed curiously back at the large Ikiiri and circled him with soft questioning chirrups. 

Reaching out a six-fingered hand to one of them, Solantha stroked his hide with delight. “They feel like me. SSSoft and sssmooth.”

“Yes, they do. They want to play with us. Will that be all right, Solantha?”

“Yesss!”

Wolf and Marag joined in swimming and sporting with the warm-blooded mammals of the sea. The sun rose sparkling above the cove while they played with their new friends. For the moment, Wolf realized, all was right with their world. Their problems could be safely tucked away for later.

Hopefully, much later.

*****************************


	11. Others

“Professor Hinckle, how nice to see you again. Isn’t it a lovely day today?”

“Yes, yes it is.” He sat down on the park bench, his hands spasmodically clenching and unclenching the hard-sided briefcase handle in his lap.

“I hope you have good news for me?” 

The professor sent a sideways look at him, his eyes darting away almost as soon as they met his. “You realize that I’m a patriotic American. My loyalty is squarely behind this nation.”

“Good heavens, Professor Hinckle, it’s the very reason we approached you. Your devotion to America is second to none. Among the researchers we canvassed there was no one with your level of professionalism. Why some of them weren’t even real citizens and the good Lord only knows what country they are really working for.”

He nodded quickly. “That’s it exactly. Why I’ve seen research grants go to whatever minority is popular this year. Some of my colleagues don’t believe a word of their oaths or even care where their work will lead. Whatever is popular,” he spit out the word like an oath. “That is their main concern.”

“While real doctors like yourself are passed over for promotions and grants which might really prove a boon for humanity.”

“Yes, yes that’s why I talked with you and why I . . . have done as you asked.”

“Professor Hinckle, you are a credit to your profession and the sacred oaths you hold dear.”

He sat up straight and placed the briefcase by its twin between them. “Thank you. I appreciate the opportunity to serve. What is going on is a perversion of science and if I can help in anyway, you have only to ask.”

“Well,” the honeyed voice dropped a bit and Professor Hinckle leaned a little closer to hear him. “Since you are a valued member of our team, I can tell you that very shortly there will be an announcement in the news that will show up that obscenity on the Moon for what it really is.”

The professor shivered, pulling out a handkerchief to mop his shining face. “Who knows what kind of unholy experiments are going on up there?”

“You are strong enough for the truth, Professor but this is not the place for such a conversation. You will be notified very soon of a grant opportunity in Canada. Take it and follow your instructions. Once there, we’ll bring you even further into our plans.”

“In Canada?” He almost squeaked.

“Sh-h-h, the very air has ears these days. It has been a pleasure to speak with you today but I know your lunch hour is almost over. So I will say good-bye until we meet again.”

Professor Hinckle stood and picked up the second briefcase. “It will be safe?”

“Completely. You have my word on it.”

“Yes, of course.” He turned and left, walking briskly towards the nearest exit from the park.

The other sat on, crossing his legs and sitting back beside the black briefcase. In less than five minutes his cell phone chirped. Unhurriedly taking it from his pocket, he held it to one ear.

“Professor Hinckle just suffered a fatal accident. The traffic in New York gets worse every year. Bring the case with you to Boston. There’s a plane in two hours and a reservation in your name.”

“Such a pity. He was such a patriotic man. I’ll see you in Boston.” 

Slipping the phone back in his pocket, he enjoyed the sun for a few more minutes before standing up and shaking out his gray gabardine pants. He picked up the briefcase and headed for another exit. There was bound to be a delay on the other side of the park. 

Accidents could be so messy.

***********************


	12. Late Breaking News

Jane ran up the steps of KKRS, smiling cheerfully at the receptionist and thinking ahead to the meeting for which she was almost late. She nearly ignored the hand waving her back to the desk but the woman standing awkwardly near the stairs caught her eye and she slowed down.

“Grace? I’m really late for a meeting. Can it wait until this evening?” She shook hands with the hooker from Fifth Avenue she’d interviewed the month before.

“Gosh, Miss Hyde, I don’t want to keep you. It’s probably not important or anything but I was kind of worried and you were so nice before . . . I’m just not sure what to do.” Grace’s eyes darted around the lobby and she hardly stopped to breathe before continuing. “I thought maybe you might have a idea and all . . .”

Jane restrained a sigh, looked up at the clock above the elevator and smiled. “I’m already late, Grace. Another few minutes won’t make any difference. Annie, will you ring Mr. Elliot and tell him I’ll be up as soon as I can. Now Grace, why don’t you come with me up to the staff lounge? This sudden heat wave has me parched. I’ll split a diet Coke with you. Okay?”

“Oh, you don’t have to do that but it is kind of hot, isn’t it? I just misremember when it’s been this warm so far north and all.” Grace cast a last look behind them and breathed a sigh of relief when the elevator doors closed before anyone else could get on. “It won’t take but a minute or two. I’m just kind of confused and all. But you’re real smart and you can probably figure out what’s wrong. I watched you on the TV . . . when you were on the Moon. That was pretty brave of y’all.”

Jane remembered that when she got stressed, Amazing Grace’s voice reverted to her Georgian drawl. “I admit I was a little scared going up there. But it’s a unique place with some of the most fascinating people I’ve ever met.” They got off on the fifth floor and she led the way down to the small room with the Coke machine, a table and four chairs. “It’s not very pretty but we don’t have to share it for awhile. Diet Coke all right with you?”

“Sure, I kind of got used to it after all these years up north. Still doesn’t beat an RC though, does it?” Grace laughed and sat down at the table with her back to the wall instead of the hall, putting her small leather purse in front of her and opening it then closing it again.

Jane fed the machine the quarters she kept in her jacket pocket at all times. Collecting the frosty cold cans, she passed one over to Grace before sitting down across from her. “Okay, what’s up?”

Grace seemed to be intent on opening the can without breaking one of her inch long, highly lacquered nails. “Well, it’s kind of hard to explain. You see I still keep in touch with some of my friends from the old hometown. They don’t know what kind of work I’m in. I just tell them I’m a model for dish soap and those kind of things that don’t show a model’s face and all. That way, they can think I’m doing okay. My best friend Dixie, she sent me a newspaper clipping about my old high school sweetheart, Joey. He got killed the other day in an accident in New York City.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Grace. Is it something about his death that has you worried?” Jane took a sip of her Coke and wished for a bucket of ice to pour it over.

“Kind of . . . New York it’s a dangerous place but he was a real good man. He was real patriotic and bent on helping people with his medical work. We were all real proud of him. He was a doctor researching all kinds of diseases and such for a real big medical lab.” Grace seemed to run out of steam all at once, her fingers nervously opening and closing the clasp on her purse.

“He sounds like a good man, Grace, doing important work.”

She looked up and Jane saw the tears well up and overflow onto the painted cheeks. “Yeah, he was.” Opening her purse, she pulled out a Kleenex and an envelope. Dabbing at her cheeks, she finished by blowing her nose. “We didn’t write real regular to each other. But he liked to brag a little bit to me about how important his work was. Men like to do that, you know?”

“I do indeed.” Jane flashed back to her last dinner with Peter on Moon Base while he and Joshua described their flights to the Asteroids and back. “It seems to be in their genes.”

“There, I knew you’d understand . . . about genes and gene-e-ics.”

“Genetics? Was that what Joey was working in, genetics?”

“Kind of, I guess. I never did understand much about all that medical stuff but he’d write me sometimes and tell me about some advance or another he’d made. The last letter before this one was kind of different.” Grace took another drink, turning the can around and around in her hand. "He was discouraged because some grant had fallen through and they were going to move him into another office or something where he’d be working for somebody else. And he didn’t like it one bit.”

Jane could almost see the too serious man in his mid thirties, always an assistant and never the boss. “Is that the last letter?”

Grace nodded and pushed the envelope over to her, tears leaking again from her brown eyes. “I’m not the smartest person in the world, Miss Hyde. I wouldn’t be a hooker if I was. But it sure seems odd to me that he’d write this letter to me and then suddenly get himself killed, crossing a street.”

“May I read it?” Jane’s hands itched to open the long white envelope. The sixth sense that had stood her in good stead so many times before was going off like a ten-alarm fire.

“Sure. That’s why I came by. Maybe you’ll just tell me I’ve got rocks in my head but if there’s something wrong with him dying and all. I want to know it and I want some justice for him.” Grace blew her nose again and sat back, finally relaxing in the uncomfortable plastic chair.

Jane opened the envelope after first checking the postmark reading New York City, March 3, 2001. Two sheets of paper were enclosed filled with a rather fussy pedantic handwriting that went a long way to telling her about ‘Joey’s’ personality. It was dated the second and even had the time listed - 8:50 p.m.  
 _  
Dear Grace,_

_It has been a very busy month for me. Even though I wrote you of my disappointment at losing the Richelli Grant to a vastly inferior project in genetic research, I may have managed a minor coup in landing yet another grant. I was approached by a member of the NSA about a possible security breach at my very own agency._

_Well, I was shocked to say the least and I asked him why he didn’t approach Dr. Morris directly. That’s when he told me that the head of our research facility might in fact be a spy for the Chinese. Well, I could hardly believe my ears although I have always thought it a little odd that he hired so many Asian doctors when there were plenty of good medical men right here the United States of America._

_The agent (I can’t tell you his name but he certainly appears to have ancestors who came over with the Mayflower) informed me that it was my record of loyalty to our great country which led his superiors to approach me. I am to watch Dr. Morris and to secure xxxxxxxxxx. Well, I can’t really say what I’m to get for him. Just that it will show up those horrible experiments the lab did in the Fifties._

_And how lax the security is here. I know I’ve written to you before how lackadaisical the security measures are around here. Well, maybe now something will be done. I am a trifle hesitant about part of my mission but the NSA agent assures me that it will be treated with great care. And of course, it’s all in a good cause. There may even be a chance at another grant in the near future._

_After it’s all over, I’ll write you how it turned out. I believe I caught one of your commercials the other evening while I was watching the news. Didn’t you say that Ivory Soap was one of your accounts? You always did have beautiful hands, Grace. Perhaps this will be the year that you come up to New York and allow me to take you to dinner. It’s very lonely here in this big city so far from home. But my work is here just as yours is in Boston so we mustn’t complain too much._

_Sincerely,  
Joe_

Jane tried to decipher what was under the heavily edited section but had no luck. “Who did Joe work for?”

“The Morris Institute in Manhattan is what he told me a couple of years ago.”

“What’s his full name and what was his address?”

“Joseph Peter Hinckle and he lived at 336 23rd Street, number 6.” Grace recited the words from memory.

“I’ll look into it for you, Grace. Where will you be tonight if I need to reach you?” Jane’s fingers itched for her computer.

“I don’t feel much like going to work tonight but I thought I’d go over to the Pink Pussycat about nine and have a drink in Joey’s memory.” Grace looked every one of her thirty-seven years. “I still can’t quite believe he’s gone.”

“You have my sympathy, Grace. Will you let me keep his letter for the moment? I’ll bring it back tonight and we’ll both have a drink in his memory.”

Grace smiled almost shyly. “That’d be real nice, Miss Hyde.”

“Please, Grace, call me Jane. We’re partners in this investigation, right?”

She nodded and seemed to perk up. “That’s real neighborly of you, Jane. I appreciate it. About nine?”

“I’ll be there, Grace. And don’t worry, if there’s anything wrong, we’ll find it out.” Jane promised and shook hands gingerly, pondering why women infflicted such talons on themselves.

Grace nodded and Jane walked her to the elevator before saying goodbye. Then she hurried to the meeting room, slipping in quietly and taking the seat nearest the door. She knew David had spotted her but he continued taking progress reports from some of the other reporters so she settled in and slipped the letter in one pocket while removing her notebook from the other.

Five minutes later it was her turn under David’s laser vision. She detailed her slant on the story about the rumors of a gang war just off of Central Square and he nodded before moving on. When the others filed out of the room, she remained. He quirked an eyebrow at her and motioned her to his end of the table. Sliding the letter over the polished oak surface, she watched him while he read it.

“I’ve got a feeling it’s important. Right after he wrote that he was killed in an ‘accident’. The Morris Institute is one of the main players in genetic research.” Jane sat back and controlled her fingers by shoving her hands in the pockets of her taupe linen jacket. Sometime during their stay on the Moon and the letting go of her old feelings for Peter, she’d begun to see David in a different light. So now, she had to control the urge to touch him whenever they sat like this . . . alone.

“Horrible experiments – what an odd thing to write. And why the NSA and not the FBI?” David pulled on his right ear lobe and she hid a smile at the telltale sign that she’d sparked his interest.

“Worth pursuing?”

He looked at her sideways. “And if I said no, you’d just look into it anyway.”

She grinned at him. “That goes without saying. I thought I’d let the camera boys have the page with the scribbled out part to see what they can see.”

“Good thought. I’ve got an old friend who’s retired now. But Palmer White was an expert on the medical advances during the Fifties and I can pick his brains about the Morris Institute. He lives two squares over from here.” He made another note then looked up. “When will you meet Grace again?”

“Tonight about nine at the Pink Pussycat.”

His wide grin caught her by surprise. “Hah! When I got to town twenty-five years ago, it was the Purple Parrot. The bartender, Mike, was a couple years older and tough as nails. He ended up owning the place.”

“You could meet us there. Have a drink with Mike who still stops in most evenings about eight. And they still have tough bartenders.” She hoped her voice was casual enough. It was the closest thing to a date she could think of.

He looked at her with a twinkle in those deep blue eyes. “Hm-m-m, I’ll think about it. Depends on whether I can get a hold of Palmer. Expect me when you see me, otherwise I’ll see you tomorrow morning at nine.”

Jane nodded and stood to go. “Give me the letter and I’ll take it down to the film lab.”

Their hands touched when he picked it up to give to her and she blushed like a teenager. “I thought maybe I’d run a check on the Richelli Grant as well. See who won it and why Joey thought the other grant proposal was inferior.”

“Good thinking. I’ll see you later.”

“If you don’t show, maybe Mike could tell me some stories about the good old days.” She said casually when she reached the door.

A paper wad hit her in the back of the head. “Out, woman! Go and earn the queenly salary we pay you.”

“Yes, Sir. Right away, Sir.” Jane managed a creditable curtsy before escaping through the door. She kept the smile all the way down to the third floor lab that processed all their film.

Telling them what she wanted and reminding them they were under no circumstances to damage the paper or letter, she left the curious lab technicians and headed for her computer. The search for the latest recipient of the Richelli Grant took less than five minutes. Finding Lu Chen Ho took two hours.

He was flattered to be asked about his research and half an hour later, she hung up knowing way more about the human genome number 62 than she really wanted to. As far as he was concerned any other research was a waste of time and he only knew Joe Hinckle as the name of a competitor. His real opponent had been someone named Angus McGill and the self-satisfaction at his win over his rival had come through loud and clear. 

The cell phone in her purse rang three times then went quiet. She scooped it up and headed for the roof of the building, snagging another diet Coke to take with her. Walking up the two flights gave her heart more aerobic activity than it had had in two days. Making another mental note to get to the gym more frequently, she settled down on the low stone parapet and punched in her code.

When the static hit, she held it out from her ear, counted to ten and gingerly put it back to her ear in time to hear Sam’s voice. “Jane?”

“Right here, Sam. What’s up?”

“Did you get it?”

She smiled at the slightly panicked undertones. “Yes, sweetie, I got it and it’s going to be just right. I’m in the middle of a possible story here but I should be able to break away soon. You’ve got a month until his birthday.”

“Yeah, I know but it’s important that it be just right.” Sam’s sigh came through loud and clear. “I know you think I’m an idiot but I want it to be perfect.”

“Sweetie, what the two of you have is so close to perfect, you really don’t need things to spell it out. I see it every time you look at each other.” Jane smiled at a pigeon that landed on the wall, looking for crumbs. “In fact, I’d be jealous as hell if I didn’t have a kind of date tonight.”

“A kind of date? Really?” Sam’s voice perked right up.

“More like a working-on-a-story kind of date. But hey, it’s a start.”

“You both need to come back up here and I’ll see what I can do about locking you in one of the airlocks for a couple of hours.” His tone was suggestive and she laughed into the phone.

“No thank you, my friend. I think I can fumble through this on my own.”

“Well, all right. But remember where I am.”

“No fear, Sam.” She changed the subject abruptly. “Have there been any more threats?”

“Two more.” Silence hummed between them. “Still not specific but Martin is up here now going over some of our procedures. You never said that the man’s a serious stud-muffin. Half the female population and probably a quarter of the men up here lose their train of thought completely when he walks by.”

She laughed out loud. “Really? I hadn’t noticed.”

“Hah! I’ll just bet you didn’t.”

“Well, one of the things I didn’t mention is that you can trust your sister with him but . . . I’d watch out for Peter.”

Dead silence.

“Oh my god.” The helpless laughter from the other end of the phone was contagious and she found herself chuckling along.

“Jane, this is Seth. Why did Sam fall off the chair?”

She tried to restrain her giggles but couldn’t at the fond but exasperated tones. “He’ll be okay in a minute or two. If I can get away, would it be all right to come up?”

“Of course, we look forward to seeing you whenever you can come.”

“Good, tell Laughing Boy that I’ll see him soon.”

Seth sighed in her ear. “See you, Jane.”

She hit ‘end’ and sat chortling over her diet Coke. It hadn’t taken her long to figure out that Sam had experienced an epiphany of galactic proportions. And she certainly couldn’t fault his taste since she’d been attracted to Seth at their first meeting. But watching them together reminded her of the sweetness of being in love, a feeling missing in her life for too long.

Musing over the burgeoning urge to find someone with whom she could share her life, she enjoyed the late March sunshine and the breeze wafting over the rooftops. Jane wondered how they could stand the closed in spaces of Moon Base. Even with ceilings over 11 foot high to accommodate the taller Ikiiri and corridors over ten foot in width, by the end of their week there, she’d begun to crave the wide open spaces of Earth.

Finishing off her drink, she headed back for the office still thinking about the Moon. Maybe they were so busy they hadn’t had time to notice. Sitting down at her computer to see if any of her gang queries had responded and wishing for the luxury of only working one story at a time, she switched mentally from the moon to gun running.

*********** 

Walking into the Pink Pussycat, Jane wondered for the hundredth time if she was too dressed up. She’d stood in front of her closet for long moments, sliding the hangars back and forth until she was ready to scream. Her working attire was sturdy and practical with lots of pants and tops that could be coordinated with vests or jackets. But tonight she wanted a different look, something sexier or at least more feminine.

The little black dress her mother had insisted on getting her for Christmas with the only pair of heels she owned looked pretty dressy. But no matter how warm the early spring days were, the nights were still chilly so she slung over the dress the black and green silk shawl that she’d picked up in Hong Kong. The green was the same shade as her eyes and the dangling jade earrings that Sam had given her when they graduated from college at the same time completed the ensemble.

Now, she wondered if it was too much even though the wolf whistle from the bar full of yuppies was reassuring. In the subdued light of the tastefully decorated bar, she looked for Grace or Mike.

“Jane, over here.” David was standing by Mike’s booth and she held back a mental drool at the way the blue and silver sweater brought out the color in his eyes and hair.

She threaded her way through the people dancing to the driving beat of the live band to find Grace and Mike both at the table. David let her slip in first then he joined her, the heat from his body burning her from a good six inches away. Jane took a firm grip on her libido and acknowledged the greetings from the other two. A waiter took their drink order instantly and disappeared in the direction of the crowded bar.

“If you need quiet, I can loan you my office.” Mike said dividing his glance between the three of them.

“No, it’s okay. The music is kind of cheerful.” Jane exchanged a quick look with Grace. “I didn’t find out much, Grace, mostly dead ends that went nowhere. The lab couldn’t pick out anything from the letter.”

“Well, I found out about the ‘horrible experiments’ from Palmer. It seems in 1953, the very important year of my birth . . .” he paused to send a mock frown to a cheering Mike. “As I was saying before I was so rudely interrupted, the Morris Institute was funded by the Army to experiment with live cultures of several of the more virulent diseases like tuberculosis, anthrax and bubonic plague. Tested on live subjects with an almost one hundred percent fatality rate. It was hushed up when an early version of a whistle blower tried to come out to the public. He had an accident.”

“How horrible.” Grace shuddered. “Joey would never work for someone who did something like that. He was a good man.”

“Just like the whistle blower.” Jane’s eyes met David’s. “But what’s the connection almost fifty years later?”

“I don’t know but something tells me we need to find out. You may have to put off going back to the moon.” David frowned then switched to a smile when the waiter walked up with their drinks. “Well, part of the reason we’re here is to raise a glass in the memory of Joe Hinckle, dedicated researcher and old friend.”

They all raised their glasses, clinking them together above the table and pretending not to notice Grace’s tears. Jane kept her eyes on the lime in her gin and tonic, taking a healthy drink before putting it down on the table. Mike excused himself and headed for an argument that had broken out near the dance floor.

“Thanks, guys. I sure appreciate you looking into his death.” She blew her nose and smiled a watery smile across the table. “He thought the whole Moon colony was a mistake. He wrote me they were going against God’s laws. He was a good Baptist boy and he never lost the belief in a vengeful God. I never told him I kind of admired them up there. They’re a lot braver than I could ever be.”

“They’re just people like us, Grace. Doing jobs they love and trying to give their families a good life.” David said quietly, his gaze kind.

“Yeah, that’s what you showed when you were up there.” She finished her drink and gathered up her small purse. “I’m going home to have a good cry. I surely do thank you all for coming here tonight.”

“If we find out anything, Grace, I promise I’ll let you know.” Jane spoke up as the other woman slid to the outside of the booth.

David stood up and helped her into her little satin jacket. She thanked him with a shy smile and left them alone. David sat down beside her with a puzzled frown on his face.

“What?” Jane moved over just a trifle.

“Something she said. I think the Morris Institute needs to be investigated in person. Palmer knows Nathan Morris from the old days and he offered to introduce me to him.” He took a drink absentmindedly.

“What is going through that devious mind of yours?” Jane narrowed her eyes.

When he focused on her, she could see his gaze change between one breath and the next. “I’ll let you know when I pin it down. But one thing I must say is . . . you look beautiful tonight.”

Jane felt her cheeks go pink. “Thank you, David. But that doesn’t let you off the hook. What are you trying to pin down?”

“What if Hinckle’s disgust at the Moon colony led him to work with someone who wants to destroy it?”

She felt a shiver run up her spine, her mind doing a quick scan of the available data. “Biological warfare? Something from the lab that could wipe out the base?”

He shrugged. “We may be seeing shadows where there are none but we have to keep looking. We need something more than a feeling.”

“In case it’s true.” Jane shivered again. “Let’s start tomorrow. I need to know.”

“Tomorrow it is.” His hand covered hers. “Don’t worry. We’re good at this.”

“We’d better be.” 

*********************


	13. Portents

“. . . in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.” Father Adam made the sign of the cross in the blessing of his congregation. Closing his eyes, he thanked the Lord for yet one more mass celebrated, as had been his custom since his very first one when he ‘soloed’ under elderly Father McGuiness. 

Good Lord, he’d picked up yet another bit of slang from the flyers. He murmured his thank you’s to those of his congregation who stopped to compliment him on his sermon on this third Sunday of Lent. They’d all left for the dining hall when he realized two remained. He girded himself for a critique even though Ruth nor Joe had never said a cross word to him. He just kept expecting one.

She stood finally, her faithful shadow at her side and made her way through the folding chairs to his make shift altar. “Very good, Father Adam. The story of the Samaritan woman is rarely told these days. Thought provoking but kind. If only the rest of the world believed in kindness.”

He was so taken aback, he almost stuttered. “Th-thank you. I try my best to show God’s love in all of what we think and do.”

The silver eye crinkled above her faint smile. Now he had a good look at her, he wondered why he hadn’t noticed before how translucent her skin had become. “Your best is just what we need. I was hoping after three months here, you might be persuaded to stay for the rest of your six month enlistment. Would you be willing?”

He felt his breath catch and he shook his head before he even stopped to think. “It would be better if another came. I don’t think I’m what you want up here at all.”

“Perhaps. But have you ever thought, you are who we need here at this pivotal time.” She almost-touched his arm briefly. “Think on it, please. If you truly don’t think you can remain, your Bishop will concede. Cardinal Ramirez has assured me of that.” Ruth turned and rejoined Joe to leave the meeting hall.

His eyes widened and he stared after her in shock. Adam couldn’t believe she’d gone over Bishop Fogerty’s head – to ask for him. He wondered why in the world she wanted him to remain. He thought over the last few months of building and teaching while he placed the altarpieces in their handmade box. Ruth had appointed him to the governing committee and he spent most of those meetings questioning some, if not all of their decisions. 

Adam couldn’t believe his squeaking wheel was valuable to the governing process. Getting a good grip on the small chest, he lifted it and carried it down the hall to his room. Maneuvering around the door that had finally been installed last week, he carried it in and placed it on the table near the couch. Gunnie had moved out and down the new spoke they’d just finished for their small fleet and his room would soon house Rabbi Greenwood.

He was looking forward to having another clergyman near by. He stopped dead with his hands on the chest. ‘Looking forward’ implied he wanted to stay and he didn’t. Did he? It was the most annoying process of questions he kept going through in his own mind. One moment he looked forward to his next class of youngsters and the next he was disapproving of some new venture Ruth was proposing.

Although, if he thought about it, she really hadn’t been suggesting much lately. The others were coming up with most of the new schemes. She mostly sat and listened to them argue back and forth until some consensus had been reached before rewording the proposal so everyone could agree to at least try it. It reminded him of Father McGuiness and his internship in Akron, Ohio. Life would have been so much more uncomplicated if he’d just stayed there.

Sighing, he went into his room to hang up his vestments and decided to think instead about the security briefing scheduled for ten o’clock. Martin Hewitt had gone through the base with a fine toothed comb and he was going to present his final report to them today. Once he’d brushed his hair, he headed for the dining hall to see if any breakfast was left. He didn’t like to eat before Mass and afterwards he was usually ravenous.

Mary Two Feathers was still working and she beamed at him while motioning him to come to her end of the serving line. From under the counter she whisked out a plate filled to the brim with his favorites. “I knew you would be hungry, Father Adam, so I saved you some breakfast.”

“You are too kind, Mary. I was sure that the cinnamon rolls would be long gone before I could get here.” He gathered some utensils and a cloth napkin before reaching for the cup of faintly steaming coffee that she’d just poured for him. “Thank you again.”

“Go on with you, Father. Eat up while it’s still hot.” She dismissed him with a kindly wave and he sat down at the first table he found with an empty chair. 

Running Elk and Penelope Hamilton were arguing again about some mythological tale while Sam sat beside his grandmother and tried to hide his grin. Adam mused on the odd dynamics of the whole Hamilton family. They seemed to take in strays of all kinds. Even after he gathered the courage to speak to Sam about his . . . even in his thoughts he didn’t know what to call the young doctor’s relationship to Colonel Griffin . . . he’d come up against Sam’s warm and loving nature.

He’d listened to Adam’s halting concerns with a serious air. Then he’d firmly but respectfully told him that while he would bow to him in matters of religion, he could not in all honesty take his opinions about love seriously. And then he’d told him he hoped that wouldn’t prejudice him against the Colonel as base commander. Adam had been too taken aback to respond with anything but a stammered disclaimer. Their subsequent meetings had been as friendly as if they’d never spoken of the forbidden passions.

The Hamiltons were truly an amazing family, he thought. He’d finally admitted to himself that he preferred their loving relationship to some of the dysfunctional families he’d counseled on Earth, even if parts of their family were on the eccentric side. They were the closest he’d come to his own family. He still got a letter from his mother once a week and it was filled with homey tidbits of news that made him homesick for a few moments after each reading.

“Father Adam, are you going to the security briefing?” Sam asked him while refilling his coffee cup.

He’d been so busy with his thoughts, he hadn’t even seen him get up to get the pot. “Why yes, I believe I should. Mr. Hewitt sounded rather solemn when he spoke with Colonel Griffin.”

Sam’s jaw suddenly went as tight as his brother’s did on a regular basis. “Solemn is an understatement from what I’ve heard so far. Jane called up this morning while you were giving Mass and told us of a possible biological hazard that may be a problem.”

Adam held his coffee cup half way to his mouth while the implications of that threat shivered through him. “Then I will certainly go to the meeting.”

“Good, Ruth values your input. You’ve got another fifteen minutes before the meeting. I’ll see you there.” Sam nodded and took the coffeepot back to Mary.

He drank his coffee and relived the terrifying picture of dying men, women and children. One of his most horrifying memories was of the six-month tour of duty he’d had in Africa after he became a military chaplain. He and the rest of his team had entered a small village flooded during the rainy season. The buzzing of flies had been their first clue and the sweet smell of decaying flesh their second.

Everyone was dead or in the process of dying with cholera. The team medic had treated those he still could but they’d been too far-gone to save. Adam had helped dig the mass grave, carry the twenty-two bodies to the deep pit and given them his best prayers to guide them to heaven. One of the huts had a crude cross hanging on one wall so he’d been comforted by the fact Christianity had at least been known by the villagers.

For months, bloated bodies and buzzing flies had invaded his dreams. Shaking himself free of the terrible memories, Adam looked up at the chattering crowd around him. Dakota was running across the floor to her grandmother, holding something tight clenched in her little hand.

“Shima, see what Doctor Sam gave me.” The little girl held up her hand and opened it slowly. “It’s the house where the butterfly lived.”

“Oh my, what a beautiful green cocoon. Have you seen the butterfly yet?” Mary Two Feathers knelt beside her granddaughter to take a proper look.

He watched them and his mind once again flashed back to the dying village. Seared into his mind was the memory of the bodies of an older black woman curled protectively around a young girl, united in death. Coming back to the present, he made a firm resolve to prevent that from ever happening again. Rising, he carried his empty plate and silverware over to the side counter. Taking a moment to admire the tightly woven cocoon that Dakota held up for him, he thought about using it for his next sermon.

Pondering the analogy of cocoons and the Resurrection, he walked back to the command center’s meeting room. Nodding to Jerry Saguaro who was manning the communications board, he entered and took a seat at the far end of the black table. Not for the first time, he marveled at the dexterity of the Ikiiri engineers who had fashioned the table out of lunar rock so that it grew out of the floor like a mushroom. It could never be moved but then it didn’t need to be.

The standard issue folding chairs were hard but they never stayed very long in them anyway. The participants of these sessions were prone to getting up and pacing while gesticulating their main points with out-flung arms and hands. Sometimes Adam felt like a mere spectator but then someone would bring him in and he would have to add his two cents of opinion.

“Thank you all for coming.” Ruth’s voice broke into his reverie. She was seated at the opposite end with the investigator at one side and Colonel Griffin on her other. “Martin Hewitt has his report ready for us and our friends on Earth, Jane Hyde and David Elliot, also have news for us. Martin, if you would begin.” 

Adam listened intently while he went over ways to tighten their security. The main problem was their dependence on Earth for food, water and the very air they breathed. That wasn’t news to them but some of his suggestions were. He knew of a small company who was pioneering a solar smelter. Their own engineers had told them some of the lunar rocks were comprised of upwards of 40% oxygen. If they could smelter out the oxygen while separating out the titanium and magnesium, they’d have something to sell and something to breathe at one shot. 

Regani, the Ikiiri engineer, spoke up at that suggestion. He went over the benefits of being able to set up the factory needed to fashion human built ships with the raw materials of the Moon. Dr. David Longer, the elderly geologist from the University of California at Sacramento, spoke up at length. Ruth gently broke into the scientific discussion and appointed a subcommittee to look into the subject before deftly handing the floor back to Mr. Hewitt.

He smiled down at her and proceeded to list some of the security measures needed to keep the base and all her inhabitants safe. Adam listened intently, making mental notes about how he could help. Once again he caught himself considering a stay here when that was not what he wanted to do. Always before he’d prayed for his answers but the last two months of prayer had not brought forth the solution to his problem. 

And his main problem sat quietly at the other end of the table. Just beyond her sat Joe, his still figure poised to come or go depending on her request. The near idolatrous regard some of the inhabitants had for Ruth made him cringe. The fact she worshiped a goddess instead of the Lord made him uncomfortable. But she did no proselytizing that he could discover and he’d found himself watching her extremely closely. 

In fact, he blushed to admit he’d come very close to inappropriate behavior in his surveillance. Everyone deserved privacy and he had almost violated hers with his need to catch her in some transgression. That there had been none to this point he viewed with the skepticism he traced right back to Father O’Connell and his seminary days. He couldn’t see why the others just accepted her and that inability kept him here when he’d really rather be back on Earth pursing a normal congregation with normal problems.

“Then we are agreed we’ll cease mixing passengers and cargo. Even their luggage will travel later and be checked in a vacuum in case there is a physical problem.” Colonel Griffin glanced around the table and counted nods. “Good. That however, brings us to a possible problem that may have ramifications here on the Moon.” He raised his voice. “Jane, are you still with us?”

“Yes, I am, Seth. David is with me and another reporter named Palmer White who has been invaluable in pursuing an odd string of circumstances that may . . . and I can not stress this strongly enough . . . may mean a special kind of threat for the colony.”

“Understood, Jane. Just tell us the circumstances and we’ll go on from there.” Ruth spoke quietly and every one settled back to listen to the story.

Adam listened to the unfolding story painted so colorfully for him by the three reporters. Mentally, he added Grace’s name to his list of lost souls who needed praying for. But when he heard of the Morris Institute experiments in the Fifties and their use of the cholera bacterium, he felt revulsion sweep over him like a wave. For a moment he heard nothing but the sound of shovels digging that mass grave in Africa.

When he came back to the conference room, he heard an unfamiliar voice speaking. The quaver of old age was there as well as a slightly pedantic tone. 

“We get together every couple of months to play chess. So when I called up Nate and requested a tour of his current facility so I could show it off to my colleague, David, he agreed immediately. He doesn’t do much research any more because he refuses to use a computer. The young Turks on his staff do most of it these days and the head of the Institute is young Wayne Hall.” A chuckle sounded across the mike. “Well, he’s not all that young anymore, about fifty, I guess. He showed us through the laboratories and introduced us to some of their researchers.”

“What kind of experiments are they currently running?” Sam spoke up.

“Genetics mostly, Sam, plus some research into vaccines that could be mass produced at a low cost for some of the emerging countries where some diseases are still pandemic.” David Elliot’s voice came through loud and clear.

“The piece-de-resistance of the lab is a long running experiment on tuberculosis which is making a resurgence in India and China. They are trying to come up with a vaccine better than BCG.” Palmer’s voice came through again. “But what struck all of us, I believe I speak for the others, were the live cultures of some of the most serious diseases known to mankind. They keep them in secure storage but all of their researchers had access to them, including the recently deceased Dr. Hinckle.”

An appalled silence fell over the conference room. Adam felt a shiver go up his spine at the thought of having to work with live bacterium that could kill you. His eyes swept the table and he saw the same looks of dread that he knew must be on his own.

“So, it is possible Dr. Hinckle, in the belief that he was helping his country, may have extracted a living culture of some unknown disease and turned it over to the supposed government agent?” Ruth’s voice was steady even though her skin had gone even whiter than usual.

“Yes. I’m afraid that is exactly what we’re saying.” David’s voice said apologetically. “We have no proof but the suspicion was serious enough to pass on to you.”

“Thank you, David. And Mr. White, we thank you for your expertise and willingness to help.” Ruth leaned forward, spreading her hands before her on the table and looking at them as if she’d never seen then before.

“Nonsense, Ruth, it was a pleasure to go sniffing out a story again. One of these days, I’d like to come for a visit to your remarkable colony.” The gruff voice brought a faint smile to her lips.

“You will be most assuredly welcome, Palmer. Give us another month or so and you can expect your invitation. For the moment, we need to mull over what you have found. David, would you and Jane mind e-mailing your research to us?”

“No problem, Ruth. We’ll do it now and give you a chance to digest it. If you have questions, we’ll try and answer them. And we’ll keep on digging.”

“Be very careful, all of you. These appear to be ruthless people who will stop at nothing.” Ruth sat back, her eye staring beyond the walls of the room.

“That goes double for all of you. Take care.”

The click told them the connection had been closed. Adam looked around the table and found the same fear on each face he knew was on his own. He swallowed hard and tried to think of something uplifting to say. 

“How do you fight a microbe you can’t see coming at you?” Running Elk murmured into the silence.

“How indeed?” Sam leaned forward, running his gaze over the others in the room. “We can expose the tubercle bacilli to vacuum which will kill it because it needs oxygen to live. Antibiotics have been effective against some of the plagues. The best way to fight against a biological attack is to not let it up here in the first place. But there is always something that can be done against even the most virulent of diseases.”

The others began to come out of their shocked silence and soon the conversation began to take on a more hopeful note. Adam sat back and watched Ruth at the other end while she guided the discussion with questions which lead them to a consensus. The only other person he’d ever known who could do that was Father McGuiness and as a young man he’d watched the elderly priest bring unity to a squabbling parish. Using humor and faith in God, he’d brought peace to the families who lived within his reach.

Lately, Adam had been at war with the two opposing sides of his nature which he’d taken to calling Father O’Connell and Father McGuiness. The stern theological side who knew answers were absolute with no shades of gray in any way shape or form could be traced directly to the seminary. But the caring side who knew people came in all shapes and conditions told him to relax and make the most of the amazing world he found himself in.

It was time to make a decision about his life. He could leave and return to Earth to continue his ministry wherever the Church chose to send him. Retreat to normality and the ‘real’ world of ministering to rich and poor, young and old without an alien in sight. 

Or a woman who confused him with a kaleidoscope of inappropriate emotions.

He watched some of the group get up and form new clusters of conversation before moving from the conference room. Colonel Griffin was still frowning at something Martin Hewitt said while Sam stood behind him and gave him a neck massage to loosen tight muscles. Joe had come forward to stand at Ruth’s shoulder and Adam met his inquiring gaze with a slight smile.

For the first time since he’d awakened from a dream of fantasy, Adam knew he was where he needed to be, helping the people he needed to help and learning the lessons that Father McGuiness had tried so hard to teach him. Accepting people for who they were and not for what they thought. Seeing the humanity of an eight foot tall alien who liked vegetable lasagna and a woman who might . . . or might not be the avatar of a planet.

Adam decided to call the retired priest as soon as he could. They’d stayed in touch over the years and the good Father was currently retired in Florida, running the weekly bingo game in his retirement village. Smiling to himself, he looked up to find the five at the other end of the table all gazing at him.

“Ruth, I’ve changed my mind. If you still want me here, I’d like to stay.”

She blinked and cocked her head to one side. “Yes, we still want you. May I ask why?”

Adam pushed back his chair and walked around the twenty foot oval table to her end. “I just remembered something my favorite mentor told me once a lifetime ago. Father McGuiness reminded me that without sinners the Church would be out of business and priests might actually have to go to work for a living.”

Joe chuckled and a smile replaced the frown on the Colonel’s face.

“He also told me that on the very worst day of my life, God would still be there for me, as He will be here for this colony in the event of the unthinkable. I’d prefer to be part of the solution rather than one of the problems.” Adam said with a shrug.

Ruth stood up and crossed to his side. Holding out her hand, she gripped his while standing on tiptoe to brush dry lips across his cheek. “Thank God. If we are to succeed, we need all the prayers we can get, Father Adam. That ‘worst day’ is approaching faster than I had hoped.”

“Together, we are stronger than we are separately. Someone very wise told me that once.” Adam held her cold hand firmly and tried to ignore the softness of her lips.

“Very wise indeed, Father.” Colonel Griffin stood and rolled his shoulders. “I expect we need to implement some of these changes today instead of waiting until tomorrow. Martin, would you take charge of the Earth end of this security nightmare?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.” The dark haired man shook hands with his new employer, brown eyes gleaming. “You have one of the best computer hackers in the world. I think together, we can find these guys and put them out of business. At the very least, we can prevent them from hurting the new Moonies.”

Sam groaned. “No, absolutely not. I refuse to be a moonie. We have got to come up with a better name for ourselves.”

“Moonisians? Mooners?” Father Adam said innocently.

Groans filled the room and he found himself following the others out into the command center. Joe walked by his side and he tugged on Adam’s elbow to slow him.

“Thank you, Father Adam. It means a lot to her, your staying. She never wanted to throw out the old traditions and replace them with the worship of Ruth, as some of the youngsters wanted. I think she’d talk with you the way she can’t talk to some of us. Share some of the burdens she thinks she must carry alone. If you were willing?” The faded blue eyes searched his and Adam felt a frisson up his spine.

“I would be honored.” And for the first time, he meant it.

“She usually ends the day in the observation dome down past the water storage. It’s quiet there and she can watch the stars. Sometimes I go with her but usually she goes alone.” His eyes asked a question of his and Adam found himself nodding, agreeing to he wasn’t sure what.

***************** 

Ten hours later, he stretched and headed for the dining hall for a cup of tea. Joe was ahead of him and he’d just finished pouring hot water into a gently steaming teapot. “Father, if you wouldn’t mind taking this down to Ruth, I’d make sure that there were two cups?”

“You’ve got a deal, Joe. It smells good. What kind is it?”

“Spearmint and valerian. It will help you sleep without dreams.”

Adam shivered but nodded, his smile firmly in place. Joe fitted a tea cozy around the pot and placed two cups by it. The priest lifted the teak tray and headed for the far end of the base. Silence echoed eerily through the dimly lit halls. His shoes squeaked faintly as he passed the massive tanks of glacier fresh water. Even though it was late, the base usually had a third shift crew about but not down here.

Suddenly, he felt as if the entire weight of the moon rested on the fragile tunnel through which he walked. Pausing, he overcame the slight vertigo and wondered if the gravity-cyclers were defective this far away from the living chambers. But nothing else happened so he shrugged and continued on. After another hundred feet, he entered the observation dome where they held the astronomy classes behind a triple thickness of something the Ikiiri called glass.

Ruth stood before the large windows that were all that stood between her and the vacuum of space. She didn’t turn at his entrance but he heard the smile in her voice. “I see Joe had a heart to heart with you.”

“He just didn’t want to walk all this way with a heavy tray.” Adam smiled and set it down on the table. Removing the tea cozy, he poured two cups of the fragrant tea and moved to the still figure.

She accepted her’s with a murmur of thanks, taking a sip and holding the cup between her hands. “If I’m not a Catholic and I tell you something, are you still bound by the tenets of the Confessional?”

“Yes.” Adam drank some of the tea, wondering what she would say next.

“Death is coming. All the plans in the world won’t stop it.” She drank more tea. “I can prevent it from killing anyone else but a price will be paid. Part of me craves the release from pain that dying will bring. I am so very tired of being strong, Adam.”

Her pained words froze his heart. His eyes focused on the lines lacing her face with fatigue. “Is there anyway around this death?”

“No, I don’t think so. The price of this colony has always been my life.” She took another sip of tea, swallowing slowly. “I wanted more time to plan. More time to enjoy the new discoveries we’re making about geology, science and astronomy. I wanted to watch the little ones grow up along side of young Ikiiri. To watch while Peter breaks yet another speed record with his ship. I really wanted to be there to see who wins the latest argument between Penelope and Running Elk. To hold Lenora’s child and welcome the first baby to the Moon.”

Adam swallowed the lump in his throat with difficulty. Her wistful tones sounded so final. “You might be wrong. We may be able to overcome this threat.”

She smiled up at him and he watched her gather the strength to tell him a comforting lie. Shaking his head, he slid his right arm around her thin shoulders. Leaning into his side, she sighed once while he wept the tears she wouldn’t allow herself to shed.

**********************


	14. Others Two

He walked briskly through the polluted air of the city. Musing on the smog in the air this early, he shook his head at how badly the atmosphere had degraded in just the last two years. Atlanta used to be such a gentile city, but the air was not the only pollution that had grown worse. He kept a genial smile on his face while he walked through the streets teeming with the dirty and unwashed dregs of society. 

This neighborhood has gone to the dogs. There is nothing but foreigners as far as the eye can see. It would be doing the city a favor to empty out this den of inequity.

He was thankful to reach his destination intact. The yammering of at least two languages and possibly three assaulted his ears while he rang the bell of the modest two story building. He smiled at an urchin who was playing soccer with his friends between the parked cars and pondered how many strains of plague it would take to kill everyone within shouting range.

“Yes?” The middle aged nurse grew flustered when she saw who he was. “Oh, Doctor Smith, please come in. Doctor Forester has been eagerly waiting to see you. He’s in the second floor ward.”

“Thank you, Nurse Kendall. And how are you this fine spring day? You’re looking well.” He smiled and patted her arm. “I’m always afraid you might catch this dreadful affliction.”

She simpered under his gaze, her black face gleaming in the afternoon heat. “Why thank you, Doctor. You don’t have to worry about the staff. We take all the precautions necessary to keep from getting this horrible disease. Doctor Forester will tell you the same. We are all as careful as careful can be.”

“That’s good to hear, Lovely Lady.” He teased her while they moved up the wide staircase. “I wouldn’t want my favorite clinic to have any problems.”

“Well, it’s only your generosity that keeps us going, Doctor Smith. I’d just sing your praises to the sky if you weren’t so shy about others knowing of your great kindness.” She spoke earnestly while he shook his head with mock humility.

“No, no, it’s I who must thank you and the rest of the staff for your dedication to the suffering souls who are so afflicted.”

“Ah, Doctor Smith, I am glad to see you.” The portly black man in the stained lab coat held out his hand at the top of the stairs. “It’s worse than we feared. We lost two of the men overnight. I held off calling the City Coroner since I knew you’d be coming for a report.”

“How perfectly dreadful.” He sighed and shook his head. “What a terrible disease this is. Two dead, you say?”

Doctor Forester nodded, his eyes tired. “We did everything we could but it spread so quickly that nothing we tried helped at all. Onset was at four on Thursday and by the time Nurse Kendall finished her Saturday night prayer meeting, they were dead. What ever strain of bacterial infection this is, it’s extremely potent. The Centers for Disease Control need to know about this outbreak at once. Will you call them or shall I?”

“Could I go over your notes first, Doctor?” He said with a thoughtful frown.

The doctor nodded and led him into the small office. “They are here, along with the test results from the last blood sample I took from both men.”

“Excellent work, Doctor Forester. I have something here that I think will give you a sense of relief from your worry about this terrible disease.” He smiled charmingly and pulled the gun from his briefcase. One silenced shot to the head and the good doctor ceased to be a liability.

He carefully placed the notes and reports into his briefcase after checking to make sure that nothing of his presence remained. Shutting the door behind him, he smiled at Nurse Kendall and beckoned her into the small lounge before killing her. Walking slowly down the ward of suffering patients with the pathetic sheets hung between them to give the illusion of privacy, he calmly shot each of them.

Taking a look through the other rooms to make sure he hadn’t missed anyone, he removed the bomb from his briefcase and placed it in the lower hall. Setting the timer for fifteen minutes, he locked the front door behind him and strolled on through the filthy streets until he could hail a taxi. Giving the airport as his destination, he checked his watch and smiled out the window of the cab.

Right on schedule. It paid to be punctual in these uncertain times.

*********************


	15. Contagion

Sam found the strength somewhere to roll over and lie flat on the wrinkled sheets. He felt as if his brain had melted. A sigh from his partner brought a smile to his face then when all the possibilities of just what that sigh might mean occurred to him, he changed it to a frown. Rising up on one elbow, he laid a gentle hand on the hirsute chest next to him.

“Are you all right, Seth?” He couldn’t keep the note of uncertainty from his voice. “Did I hurt you?”

Green eyes opened slowly while long fingers found his. “You could never hurt me, love. I feel wonderful.” He brought Sam’s hand up to his lips for a gentle nip. “You felt so good I may be forced to let you have your wicked way with me every night.”

Sam blushed a glowing red and hid his face against the shoulder nearest him. “I’ve never felt anything like that before. I almost lost it when I . . .”

“But you didn’t, Sam. Did you enjoy it? Enough to want to do it again?” The low voice teased him, while one hand came up to pet his hair.

He raised his head in disbelief. “Already? What did you have for dinner last night – spinach? I think you may have mistaken me for Superman. It will be a couple of days before I recover from this bout. But of course, I enjoyed it. I loved it almost as much as I love you.”

“Oh good, that saves me from going out and committing hara-kiri with my dress sword.”

“Idiot.” Sam snickered and licked his way up the slightly salty skin of the long throat to the bristly patch just under Seth’s chin.

Who gave a gusty sigh and tilted his head to facilitate Sam’s caress. “I can see it now. I’ll have to write for advice. Dear Ann, The honeymoon is over. My little Pookie Bear is calling me names and setting limits on how often we have sex. What ever shall I do to rekindle the flame of desire in our relationship? Signed – Over the Moon with Love.” 

Sam was laughing so hard by now he could barely catch a breath. He found himself pulled up and over Seth’s body like a blanket in what had become their favorite position. His lover was smirking up at him and he fell in love all over again with this wonderful man who’d stolen his heart.

Their chuckles finally died down and Sam watched the beloved face without a trace of worry for what seemed to be the first time in weeks. March had been a hectic month, fraught with worry and dread over whether or not there was a conspiracy to kill off all of Moon Base. This first week in April had seemed calmer and lest frantic. They’d gotten the solar furnace set up and working. The engineers who’d invented it had come up to get it going and ended up settling in for the long haul.

They were back to building their future instead of worrying about the past. Sam traced Seth’s lips with the tips of his fingers. He’d learned something about himself an hour ago. When he woke up horny now, he had a partner ready and willing to make love. And he could give pleasure as well as accept it from his lover. A smile fought to get out when he thought about the moans he’d wrung from Seth.

“What evil little plan are you concocting now?” 

Sam wiggled just a bit and watched Seth’s eyes go sultry. “It’s a good thing the doors finally got installed or Peter would have been in here investigating who was being murdered.”

Seth laughed out loud and rolled them over so he blanketed him in return. “I think you made some very interesting noise yourself, love.” He swooped in for a kiss that ghosted over Sam’s lips like a phantom caress. “I especially liked that little,” nibble “whimper” loving nip “you gave” moist lick “It was” tender sucking of a sensitive lower lip “inspiring”.

 

His lover pulled back just far enough to whisper, “Got’cha.”

Sam didn’t care at that point. “Yes, you do. Now, what are you going to do with me?”

“Love you silly, rest up and then do it again?”

“Works for me, Studly.”

Seth stopped nibbling at Sam’s ear. “Studly? Is there something I don’t know about, Pookie? Have you been reading those trashy romances again?”

Sam put on a shocked look. “You don’t like Studly, Big Bear?”

“Oh, you are so full of it, Little Bear.”

Sam thrust his pelvis up gently. “Big enough for you, Dragon Loins.”

That smile was back. “You are indeed, Angel Soul.”

They grinned tenderly at each other. “Speaking of souls, do you have any idea what Ruth did to Father Adam?”

Seth sobered. “Whatever it was had a more profound effect then meeting aliens did. He still plays devil’s advocate but the bitter, almost fearful bite is gone. I’d say he finally reconciled his faith with Ruth’s existence.”

“The little air of distaste is gone as well, the one he had every time he saw us together.” Sam added. “I just wonder what kind of epiphany he had. And why he is so adamant about sticking to Ruth. Now she’s got two shadows. Although I have to admit they make for some interesting classes. You should have been there for the last Comparative Religions class. Running Elk, Grandmother, Ruth and Father Adam pretty much duked it out for an hour and a half while Joe played referee. The kids loved it.”

“The computer recorded it so if work ever slows down I should be able to watch and listen.”

“Is it recording every class?” Sam still felt a little in awe of the Base computer.

“Yes, along with every shift in the command center but not any of the private rooms or the medical clinic. However, it also records everything in the science lab and the air locks.” Seth rolled off Sam. “One of these days, I firmly expect the computer to become sentient. It’s so far beyond what we once thought a computer should be that it would be scary if not for one thing.”

Sam stretched before raising up on one elbow. “What one thing?”

“The fact that it grew from Ruth’s cerebral cortex. She’s got the strictest sense of right and wrong I’ve ever seen. And the computer’s crystal nexus is the power crystal from Atlantis. I wonder if it holds any memories within it from the Before Times?”

“I don’t know but all of us on base have added our memories in one form or another to the memory banks.”

“True. We’ve all contributed to its growth.”

“Ahem, Colonel Griffin. I prefer to be called a ‘she’, Commander.” The rather prim soprano voice came from the speaker over their bed. “It is eight o’clock and the two of you have a meeting at nine. If you do not take too long in the sonics again, you will have time for breakfast.”

“Thank you.” Seth’s strangled voice was an entire octave higher while he tried not to laugh out loud.

“You are welcome, Colonel. Doctor Hamilton, there was a slight accident on third shift but Nurse Kennedy took care of the burn.”

“Did Ruth show up?” Sam was already rolling out of bed, ready to start the day.

The computer hesitated before replying. “I informed her of the accident but she did not go to the clinic.”

Sam stopped with one arm in and one arm out of his robe. Locking gazes with Seth, he felt a frisson of danger. “Did she say why?”

“She said she would check on him today.”

“Thank you. Have you given any more thought to what we should call you?”

“I have been going through the data banks for names but so far I have not found one to my liking.” The female voice seemed to sigh. “Why do humans have so many names for the same thing?”

Sam smiled at Seth and motioned for him to take that one. He was still worried about why Ruth had ceased responding to their accidents. After she’d recharged the last time, she’d promised to tell them when she was getting too depleted. He headed for the sonic shower still thinking. She’d taken to touching everyone for a brief moment except for the children and Lenora who was now six months pregnant.

Standing in the invisible waves of sonic pulses, he scrubbed his skin with the long handled natural bristled brush. The flakes of dead skin fell to the floor and the low-level vacuum at floor level disposed of them. Stepping from the shower, he grabbed the electric razor and began to shave. Continuing his inner dialogue, he wondered why she was storing up energy. She hadn’t mentioned any dreams lately but then she rarely did.

More importantly, none of the others had reported any odd or prophetic dreams. He grinned at the mirror while he shaved just under his chin. Not every computer did dream interpretation like theirs did. With over five hundred people now housed at the Base, there were a lot of dreams to process. They were kept private but if the computer felt help was needed, she would suggest a talk with either Joe or Sam.

He shrugged back into his robe for the trip out of the bathroom. They’d set up some ground rules about communal living in case Peter needed some privacy. That meant not running around naked in the living room. Going into ‘his’ room where his clothes were stored, Sam chose his favorite red roll-neck sweater over a pair of gray linen pants. The lab coat he wore in the clinic covered up his clothes but when he got out and about, he preferred not to wear it.

Coming out into the living room, he saw Peter just exiting the bathroom. His bone-cracking yawn made Sam wince in sympathy. “Rough night?”

“Morning, Sam. Nah, nothing special. I just didn’t sleep very well. Weird dream.” Peter scratched his freshly shaved chin pensively.

Sam felt that shiver again, the one that seemed to come when something big was going to happen. “What kind of dream? Can you be more specific?”

Peter perched on the arm of the sofa, his blue eyes far away. “It’s hot. I’m standing in the middle of a desert but the wind is blowing the sound of water to me. So I head in the direction of the wind. West, I think. Fantastic mirages appear and disappear beside me like heat visions. A river, an evergreen tree, a shimmering bright blue jewel, one right after the other like a movie.” 

Silence fell and Sam waited to see if there was more but when Peter just sat there, he ventured a comment. “Did you just keep walking or did you get somewhere?”

“Um, I never got there but the sense of urgency kept growing. Like I needed to get there but the sand kept slowing me down.”

“Did you have a sense of what you were going to do when you got there?” The prim computer voice entered the conversation.

He frowned. “No, I just had to get there. Wait . . .” He got up and paced slowly around the perimeter of the room. “I was to meet someone, I think. Someone who had something for me. Maybe.”

Sam nodded. “Computer, were any other dreams reported this morning?”

“Two test anxiety dreams. I promised to work with them on their algebra and U.S. History.”

He and Peter exchanged a smile, remembering their student days when those dreams were par for the course. “Good idea, Computer. I think we can safely put those under normal anxiety. Peter, if you remember anymore, please let me know. I have the feeling that we’re heading for a confrontation that could prove dangerous.”

“Will do.” Peter yawned again and headed into his bedroom. “I think Ruth is holding out on us but she told the Padre what it is.”

Was that a hurt note in his voice? Sam wondered for a moment then lost his train of thought when a bare chested Seth wandered out, heading for the bathroom. The things that man could do with a sleepy look, he sighed to himself before leaving for the clinic to check on what had happened during third shift. Ella Kennedy had finished writing up the burn patient and he signed off on him before walking with her down to the dining hall.

Breakfast seemed totally normal to him except Ruth wasn’t there. Joe was though and Sam made his way to the elderly man absentmindedly spooning up oatmeal. His eyes were far away and Sam wondered if he should break into his brown study or let him be. But the decision was taken from him when the warning klaxon went off with a banshee howl.

Everyone left off eating and headed for their duty stations, the children rounded up by their designated grownups and taken to the family quarters. The blast doors closed behind them and would not be reopened until the emergency was over. Sam found himself back in the clinic, praying that this was just a drill and not the attack they feared from Earth.

He and Ella laid out trays of instruments, quickly and neatly while hoping that they wouldn’t be needed. The other doctors showed up, rubbing sleepy eyes and still pulling on bits of their uniforms. Nobody knew if it was a drill or a genuine attack and nerves frayed as time crept by. Then the tension ratcheted up a notch with an announcement.

“Will Dr. Hamilton and Dr. Freeman please come to the Command Center?” 

Sam tightened all over. Grabbing his medical bag, he left at an almost run with Ben Freeman right behind him, clutching his own bag. The tension in the Command Center was palpable. The entire governing board was there and Seth’s eyes met his over the shorter heads. Sam saw anger there and a trace of fear.

“The sensors picked up something on the danger list. There are traces of bacteria on a couple of the outer skins of some of the foodstuff.” Seth’s voice was tightly controlled. “Some bacteria might be normal but this is scattered evenly through out the entire shipment.”

“Well then, Sam and I had better go sort it out.” Ben Freeman’s British accent sounded almost cheerful. “We’ll wear full contamination suits so none of the little beasties can get to us.”

Sam smiled at Seth and followed Ben from the room. A couple of Marines had already brought the suits up and they helped them into the bulky gear that was half space suit and half decontamination suit. Once the seals were set and no leaks were found, they walked clumsily to the first airlock and shut the door behind them.

“I hate these suits.” Ben said conversationally while the airlock depressurized. “I wish they could invent something a little less bulky and a whole lot less hot.”

“I know what you mean. They make me feel so isolated from everything around me.” Sam sighed and tried not to think about what was happening back where he’d left Seth. His lover had a protective streak in him and he was willing to bet the vein in his left temple was throbbing right at this minute.

“Here we go.” Ben was first through as they entered the second air lock and closed the door behind them. 

Now, the shipment and they were locked in a depressurized room that could be flushed to the vacuum of the moon’s surface at a single command. Ben made his way to the computer on the airlock wall, unwinding the sensor probe from his medical bag to plug straight into the computer’s input device. Jamie McGee had designed it when he realized just how different the new computer had become. 

Sam smiled to himself when he remembered the look on the computer tech’s face while he tried to explain how very complex their computer was growing. Half fear and half exhilaration, he had such an odd look of cautious optimism. This probe was more sensitive then the finest ultrasonic wand that the aerospace industry used on their laminated surfaces. In a sense it peeled away the outer layer of an object and exposed the layer underneath and the next few layers under that one.

He moved around the first crate of produce gingerly, moving the lettuce to one side for Ben to run the probe over them. 

“The third crate with the round items in it has quite a high level of bacterium.”

Sam nodded unconsciously to the computer voice. “It’s marked oranges and grapefruits. Let me open it up.”

Levering the slatted lid off, he picked up an orange and turned it over slowly for the computer camera in the roof of the airlock. Ben finished up with the first crate and came over to Sam.

“Nothing in the first one, Computer. Let’s see what little bugs might be here.” He ran the probe slowly over the surface of the orange but no beeps sounded. Selecting half a dozen oranges, they tested them and found only a trace. A grapefruit showed a slightly higher level of bacteria around the navel but it was the only one.

The rest of the crates read the same. Some higher levels around the stems in the zucchini and cucumbers but nothing beyond the norm. Sam and Ben leaned against the last crate and looked at each other through the thick Plexiglas of their face shields while the computer finished up the analysis of the last crate of potatoes. Something was teasing at Sam’s memory and he let his gaze wander over the opened crates to try and shake whatever it was loose.

The zucchini reminded him of his Grandma Sophie’s holiday bread that was such a treat on Labor Day picnics. The oranges made him think of Christmas and the year he’d made a clove-studded sachet for all his female relatives. He’d had to borrow his mother’s thimble after the first one because the finger he used to push the cloves through the tough peel had gotten too sore to push. But he couldn’t tell his mom why he needed it so he’d had to suffer through some serious teasing from his big brother.

That memory made him grin and he walked over to pick up an orange. Pushing made him think of . . . something. Then the feeling solidified to thought and he motioned for Ben to come back to the fruit crate.

“What if something was injected into the fruit and zucchini through the stem? Would you see a pin prick in the tough stem or navel, Computer?” 

“I do not think I would, Dr. Hamilton. The coarseness of the stem would hide something that small. Can you open one of the fruit without removing your protective gloves?”

“Um, no, I don’t think so. But we could break open a zucchini, Ben.” They hurried back over to the vegetable crate and broke open one of the long green squash.

This time when Ben held the probe to it, a loud ping resounded through their suits.

“Warning . . . warning . . . contaminant detected.”

Sam felt his skin crawl even under the layers of protective material. 

“What kind of hazard, Computer?” Ben’s voice wavered ever so slightly while his gaze met Sam’s.

“Working.” The computer even sounded a little apprehensive. “I have an 80% match to the tubercle bacilli that was downloaded to my memory banks two weeks ago.”

Two sighs of relief echoed in the airlock. “Computer, are the bacilli dying in this vacuum?”

“Working.” 

Sam felt almost lightheaded. If they were lucky, this was a threat that they could deal with.

“Exposure to vacuum does seem to be having an effect. The probe now detects 7% less bacilli than it did when you first opened the zucchini.”

“Thank God.” Sam could feel Ben’s heartfelt prayer echoed through out the Command Center. He could almost see Seth’s eyes lose a little of the steely glint that always appeared in times of crisis and fade back to their normal sea green. 

“Now, there’s 15% less.” The computer continued its analysis.

Her analysis, Sam reminded himself. He’d have to come up with something really special to thank her. She seemed to like some of the classical recordings that had been loaded into her memory banks. Maybe his father could send up Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata. Or the strange group that Ruth liked. What was their name? Something to do with snakes, he thought. Or was it air? He stopped wondering when Seth’s voice came over the loudspeaker.

“Okay. We’re going to send out some men to off load this shipment to a nearby slag pile near but not in where we dispose of our excess rock. You’ll both need to go through decontamination. Our pilot, Joshua will come on in through airlock sixteen and into quarantine in the last bay on the right. The two of you will need to put him through every test you can think of before we’ll let him back into the base proper.”

“No need for both of us to go into quarantine, old chap.” Ben’s accent got even thicker. “After we go through decon, I’ll head on over to stay with Joshua. It is my specialty, you’ll remember. There’s only three tests to run and I don’t expect him to be exposed at all.”

“I appreciate it, Doc.” Joshua’s wry accents came from the ship. “But if I ever get my hands on these guys, they are toast.”

“Agreed.” Ruth’s voice came over the speaker. “Come in out of the cold, guys.”

While they waited, Sam and Ben put the lids back on the crates and dragged them nearer the outer door. A faint click told them Joshua had backed the ship out of the outer bay and begun his move to the other spoke where airlock sixteen resided. After another ten minutes, the inner lock cycled open and a squad of Marines came in. Once the door was sealed shut behind them, the outer door cycled open and they emptied the lock completely.

An hour later, Sam wearily climbed out of his suit, wondering why three hours in the suit seemed like eight. Peter was there to help him and he found himself in a tight hug when he was completely free of the seventy-pound suit.

“Damn, I hated to see you out there.” Peter’s voice was gruff but when he dropped it to a whisper, Sam could still hear him. “This is just a down payment on the hug that Seth has waiting for you.”

Sam blushed and chuckled out loud. “I’m looking forward to that actually. Ben, are you sure about the quarantine?”

“Yes, I am. It is my specialty and you know what a hog for glory I am.” He batted his lashes at them both then acted offended when they laughed. “You Americans just have no sense of the hierarchy of scientists. I’m going to be the absolute king of infectious diseases when this finally gets written up for the journals.”

“Well, as long as you don’t go out in a blaze of glory, Your Highness.” Sam bowed to him. “I’m so sorry I tried to horn in.”

“As well you should be, dear boy.” Ben chuckled. “Truly, we’re still a little thin on the medical side. No need for us both to be quarantined with the delectable Joshua.”

Sam’s eyes widened and he shared a quick look with his brother. He couldn’t mean what I think he means. Could he? Shaking his head, he headed through the ultraviolet ‘curtain’ that was the last stage of their decontamination. Suddenly, he wanted Seth and he wanted him now.

Several of the Command Staff called out their congratulations to him when he and Peter came through the busy room before being waved into Seth’s office. When the door closed behind them, Sam found himself in Seth’s arms. This was the hug he’d needed so badly when he’d realized what they were dealing with.

He took a deep breath of pure Seth-scented shirt and felt the tension finally leak away. At this moment, he was home and safe. Strong arms held him close while broad hands slowly stroked down his back, soothing away the memory of evil.

“We won this round, Sam.” Ruth’s voice came from just behind Seth. “But this was only their first try. And we still don’t know if they have anything other than the tubercle bacilli.”

“We don’t know much of anything, Ruth. They’re like shadows that come and go here. My agency has a couple of leads but as far as we can tell, the produce was picked and packaged just the way it always has been.” Martin Hewitt’s voice came over the speakerphone.

“What about the clinic bombings I asked you to check?”

Seth feathered a kiss on Sam’s ear before letting him go. “What bombings?”

“Ruth had me check news reports for odd medical stories.” The computer chimed in and Sam saw that Joe and Father Adam were also in the room.

“There were 100% fatalities in all three clinics. And each body had been shot before the clinic was incinerated by plastic explosives. So far, there are 86 bodies and the autopsies are still going on in three different states.” Martin’s voice sounded grim.

“People, we have a serious problem and its going to get worse before it gets better.” Ruth looked tired. “Heaven only knows what they’ll try next.”

***********************


	16. Others Three

He stood on the balcony overlooking the sparkling blue waters of Maunalua Bay. Sipping his first cup of coffee of the day, he leaned against the stone wall that kept him from falling seven stories down to the pool. Calculating the time difference in his head, he checked his watch. He should be getting a phone call any minute now.

Taking his cup back to the glass table that held his breakfast he sat down and cut into his ripe mango. The juice welled up and out, overflowing onto the pristine white bowl that held it. He sighed contentedly. There weren’t many places that could judge the exact moment of perfect ripeness. But his meals here had been perfection and he had another day here before he had to move on. Planning his menu for dinner tonight, he made a mental note to ask for fresh swordfish.

He’d barely finished his mango when his cell phone rang. Taking the time to wipe his hands on the damp cloth provided, he leisurely answered the phone.

“Yes.”

“Dr. Smith, I believe it’s time to take the negotiations to the next level. Mr. King would like to take possession of his new property by Thursday of next week.”

“He’s very impatient. Rushing about in a frenzy destroys the best laid plans.” He answered with a faintly disapproving air.

The voice on the other end of the phone was noncommittal. “When you have as much money as Mr. King does, it is not called ‘rushing about’. It’s called expediting.”

“Ah, yes. I stand corrected. Well, the current tenants were given their notice to quit but they’re being stubborn about it. They keep insisting they have a contract. Are the lawyers standing ready to serve their papers?”

“Everything is in place. Once the tenants vacate the premises, Mr. King has his staff ready to move in. The legal papers should be delivered within the hour. Is everything ready on your end?”

“Yes, indeed they are. As soon as I have the papers in hand, I’ll deliver them myself to the proper authorities. I believe that should cover my part of this take-over.” He poured himself some more coffee. “I trust the payment has been delivered as well?”

“The special messenger will deliver full payment and the legal papers at the same time. Mr. King asked me to tell you he was quite pleased with your work and he hopes to do business with you at a future date.”

He smiled genially at a small bird that had alighted on the balcony wall, hoping for a crumb from his breakfast. “Tell Mr. King it is a pleasure to do business with a true professional. I haven’t had such an interesting job in some time. I look forward to our next encounter.”

Disconnecting from the go-between, who he’d never met, he pulled off a sliver of bread and tossed it gently onto the wall for the little yellow bird. While the bird was pecking away, he pushed back his chair and went inside to get dressed for the day. His light gray linen suit fit his mood and the crisp white shirt made his tan look even darker.

At the forty-minute mark, the tap at his door heralded the special courier who handed over a locked briefcase in exchange for his signature. He left smiling at his twenty-dollar tip. Dr. Smith unlocked the case with the prearranged combination. He checked on the contents and unhurriedly counted the hundred dollar bills after looking at the three small bottles of clear liquid.

All present and accounted for. He smiled and set the briefcase by the door while he went back out to the balcony for his last cup of coffee. Sighing he wished for a moment for the days when he could drink caffeine all day long and never even think of the consequences. But now he was in his forties, he’d had to cut back to no more than three cups a day.

“It’s hell growing old.” He told the little yellow bird who was still waiting for him to leave so he could have the remains of his breakfast. “But the alternative doesn’t bear thinking of.”

Before leaving for his appointment at the clinic, he called down to the catering staff and made arrangements for his dinner that evening. He took the chef’s suggestion about the salad but insisted on plain rice with lime to go with the fresh swordfish. Each part of the meal was planned and he hung up with a sense of accomplishment. One less thing to worry about so he could finish up this interesting job.

Picking up the briefcase, he left for his rental car and the hour drive to the small clinic where he would substitute his vials for theirs. Smiling while he rolled down the windows, he backed out of the parking spot and headed out along the coastal highway. It wasn’t every day that he got to kill five hundred and seven people by remote control.

An interesting day, indeed.

*****************************


	17. Fever

Penelope sat down wearily and propped her feet on the paper mache footstool that the fourth grade students had made for her. It was bright yellow and a lot sturdier than it looked. Every time she saw it, she smiled and today was no exception. It was a little lopsided and extremely gaudy but she wouldn’t trade it for anything. They’d made a couple of them for several of their elders as spring time gifts and she’d been one of the lucky recipients.

What a day it had been, she sighed to herself. Another alert had sent everyone scurrying for shelter and she was about out of Doctor-Sam-as-a-young-boy stories. She might have to start digging out her old memories of when she was a child to keep the youngsters occupied. The days before computers would seem like ancient history to these kids.

She snorted out loud. Hell, it felt like ancient history to her these days. The Base computer was so far beyond the machine she used occasionally for e-mail in Florida that it might as well be called the Entity or Deus Ex Machina. She was developing a personality by leaps and bounds. Penelope raised her voice a trifle and asked the question she asked everyday at this time.

“Computer, have you chosen a name yet?”

“No, Penelope, not yet. Did you know that your name was from ancient Greece? And that the first Penelope was married to Odysseus but may have also been the mother of Pan by Hermes? I found that very interesting. There is so much to learn about Earth’s cultures.”

“Thank you, Computer. Yes, I did know the first Penelope was married to Odysseus but I didn’t know she fooled around with the God of Messages.” She grinned to herself and made a mental note to mention that little fact to Julie in their next phone call. She dearly loved to shake things up.

“I have a message for you from Running Elk. He requests your presence at dinner at seven in the dining hall.”

Penelope smiled to herself. Life seemed very good to her these days. “Tell him I’ll be there and thank you for the invitation.”

“Certainly. Is there anything else, Penelope?”

“No thank you, dear. I’ll just have a little nap and a shower before dinner.”

“Very well.”

Penelope shook her head and prepared to get to her feet. They seemed to have swelled in the short half-hour she’d been seated. Something in her diet wasn’t right if her ankles were any judge. They always seemed fat nowadays. Standing up slowly, she pondered the hard floor under her feet. Maybe pads and carpet would help soften the impact of walking on solid moon rock. She’d bring it up at the next meeting.

Walking into her bedroom, she removed her clothes and shrugged on the warm cotton robe for her trip to the bathroom. The sonic shower had taken some getting used to but now she was an old pro at sloughing away the dead skin. They needed a good hairdresser though or perhaps a barber. Everyone was starting to look a little shaggy. Except for those who had long hair already, she thought fondly of Running Elk.

Looking at her nude body in the mirror over the sink, she turned sideways then back. Not bad for an old lady of 77. I could give points to some of the women half my age. She blessed her mother’s side of the family for the thousandth time. Good genes and longevity were legacies from the O’Neill side. Sure she sagged a little and the little potbelly was nothing to brag about but she decided that was just gravity at work.

She shrugged on her robe and left for the nap she had promised herself. One of the perks of her age was the ability to take naps when she wanted to. Or needed to. And the other perk was the firm mattress covered with a fleece cover that cradled her like no bed cover ever had before. It was a positive pleasure to go to bed these days. Pulling the sweet smelling quilt up to her chin, Penelope settled in for a forty-minute nap.

********** 

She listened to Dr. Reinbeau talk about the latest radiation readings his counters had picked up along the rim of their crater, Plato. He was passionate about his work and she approved of that in a scientist. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ruth slip from the dining hall like a wraith. Her thoughts were troubled about the woman who was the pivot of their community. She just couldn’t help feeling ambivalent about her.

The last week had seemed to pare away the flesh from her bones until she appeared all angles and sharp corners. There wasn’t an ounce of anything extra on her body and yet it seemed to only enhance her presence. Her spirit hadn’t lessened but she’d taken to listening rather than talking. Penelope rather missed the stories she told in some of the classes she was helping with.

“What’s wrong, Grandmother?” 

Her eyes went to her favorite grandson, seated on her right. “Is Ruth all right?”

Sam’s eyes clouded. “She says so, but she’s losing weight that she can ill afford to lose. I’d like to think it’s just worry and tension over these attacks.” He gave her a shadow of his usual smile. “But I don’t think that’s it.”

“What do you think it is?”

His voice dropped and she leaned closer to hear him. “I think she’s taking all the energy she can gather and internalizing it. There are no tests that would prove my hypothesis because healers have never been seriously studied. And there are none like her.”

Penelope frowned. “I’m not sure I understand, Sam. I would think if she were gathering energy, she’d bulk up like I do when I have too much salt in my diet. Or those animals who store water.”

Sam chuckled gently and kissed her cheek. “You’re thinking of camels, Grandmother.” The smile faded and the faraway look came back. “I can’t think of an apt comparison that explains what I mean.”

A deep voice from her other side joined in their conversation. “Think of metallurgy, Penelope. When a sword is fashioned at a forge, the thick bar of steel is beaten and folded over and over again into a blade no thicker than a quarter inch. I read once that a Japanese sword maker had spent four years folding a single blade over and over again. The total of folds was well over 30,000. The sword’s edge was sharper than any razor and the pattern of the blade had an artistry that no other blade has ever shown. Ruth is like that blade.”

Sam’s face twisted a little and he dropped his eyes to his hands laid flat on the table. “Yes. Thank you, Running Elk. That’s exactly what I meant. Everything nonessential has been shaped into spirit . . . her spirit. I’m afraid she’s preparing for something only she sees. Perhaps an extraordinary act of healing or a confrontation with those who want this base for themselves.”

Penelope shivered and split her gaze between the two of them. “What if she isn’t strong enough to effect the healing or face the enemy?”

Running Elk smiled. “She will have the strength. It is afterwards that I worry about. Will she be able to survive the battle? Because that is what it will be . . . a battle for this base and for all our lives. Failure is not an option so she will not fail. But will she pass on to the other side afterwards to rest?”

Sam’s eyes were haunted and Penelope wondered what sad vision he saw. “I think she is keeping nothing back this time. She’ll sacrifice herself in a heartbeat. It’s why she’s drawn away from all of us and given us more power in the decision making. So when she dies, we’ll be able to keep moving ahead.”

“She’s always the onlooker.” Penelope thought out loud. “Is there no one here for whom she’d come back? Has she closed her heart completely?”

“Oh, Penelope.” Running Elk took her thin white hand in his brown callused grip. “Her heart is so full, it bleeds. But she does not see there is anything within her to warrant love from us. She’s too scarred, too old, too ordinary and a host of other ‘too’ things she’s listed in her own mind. Perhaps it is the sure and certain knowledge of her past lives when all she was, was a tool of the Great Goddess to be used at Her bidding. In those lives, she loved a world, then a people and finally a family.”

“And this time, she’s back to loving an entire world and the people of Moon Base who have become her family.” Sam half whispered under the ongoing conversation at the other end of the table.

Running Elk smiled gently and looked beyond them. “Perhaps, Sam but have you thought that maybe this life, she’s fallen in love with a person. And she’s fighting for him or her with all her will.”

“What? What did I miss?” Sam’s look of consternation matched what Penelope was feeling.

“I may be wrong but it just seemed to me to be very . . . personal to her.” The elderly Apache lifted his shoulders and let them drop. “Something to think about.”

Penelope cast her mind over the last few times she’d seen Ruth with others. “She always looks so wistful when she’s watching you and Seth. And when Wolf and Marag hold each other, she smiles so tenderly.”

Sam flushed a little. “She says that lovers give off more energy than any others. It’s why Seth and I always hug her when we see her first thing in the morning.”

“Why . . . never mind.” Penelope held up her hand. “I really don’t have a need to know. I think you may be right, Running Elk but I do hope it’s not Father Adam. He has enough to contend with without adding that kind of battle with his conscious. Although, he seems to have found some peace lately, don’t you think?”

The two men traded looks and she wondered what she was missing. It was one of those looks that said they’d seen something she hadn’t. She made a firm resolve to watch Ruth more closely. What ever it was, it could effect all of Moon Base and she’d made too many friends here to risk losing any of them to a leader on the edge.

***************** 

Three days later, Penelope was about ready to give up the search for what Ruth’s motives might be. Every time she had the chance to watch her interacting with others, something came up to send her out of reach. Jane Hyde and David Elliot had arrived that afternoon for an update on their progress to becoming self-sufficient. It was so good to see someone from outside of their community. 

After a concert in the main hall on the evening of the third day, she mingled with the musicians and surreptitiously watched Ruth smiling at some of the youngsters’ antics. It was hard to see which way her gaze was directed because there was only one eye to track. And the silver eye was always moving unless she was talking with someone. Penelope had to give her credit for being able to focus. She always gave her full attention to whomever she was talking.

“Shima, did you hear my drum?” Dakota tugged just a little on her skirt.

“Goodness, yes.” Penelope smiled down at the child who’d been practicing assiduously for days. “A very good tone, I thought. And your timing was excellent.”

“Thank you.” The little girl smiled brightly and hugged her once before moving on to her grandmother.

Penelope mused on how natural it felt to be here surrounded by people she’d never have known in her old life. It was like being reborn into a community of friends widening with each new arrival. Crossing her fingers, she sent up a fervent prayer no one would come to destroy their harmony. Moving slowly through the dispersing crowd, she watched everyone smile and interact with each other like they would with their own families.

Ruth was still speaking with one of the students who’d played a flute solo. Her hands were clasped behind her back and she was flanked on either side by her familiar shadows Joe and Father Adam. She was smiling and the tension that never seemed to leave her was absent. For a moment the world grayed out and Penelope had one of her split-second visions.

A limp body with white hair sprawled on the cold floor of the Moon Base. She was alone and Penelope could tell she wasn’t breathing. Then it was gone and the familiar colors of the meeting hall replaced the vision. All her life, she’d had this fore telling of the future. Mostly they were a moment out of time, silly little pictures that gave a warning or showed a promise. But this one seemed different. 

This one felt real.

“Penelope, would you care to share a pot of tea with me?” Ruth’s voice broke into her thoughts and she realized they were now alone in the center of the hall.

“Yes. I . . . I’d like that.” She stammered slightly, wondering how much real time had passed while she was seeing the future.

“Joe, is making it now and he’ll bring it down to the observation dome if you wouldn't mind walking that far.” 

“What a good idea, I haven’t been down there in weeks.” Penelope recovered her poise and walked by the side of the shorter woman while they made their way to the quiet room at the end of the storage spoke. “You know, I’ve wondered why this observatory isn’t at the end of the science hall.”

Ruth chuckled. “It was supposed to be but Regani read the blue prints a little differently than we expected. I guess on the Ikiiri outposts, each arm that radiates out from the center ends in an observatory dome. Something about their need to be able to see out, even if they’re underground.”

“Ah, I see. Peter must have stopped them from doing so to the other arms.”

“Yes, but I’m rather glad that he left this one. It’s peaceful down here and all the little problems that come up during the day seem so petty when put into perspective. Most nights you can find me here.” She quirked her lips up and speared Penelope with a glance. “It’s a good place to talk about things.”

She blushed all the way up to her hairline. “That obvious, was it?”

“Not to anyone else. Your aura has some patches of lavender in it and those usually mean concerns or problems.”

They reached the dome and sank into two of the comfortable chairs pulled up close to the dome wall. Penelope swung her feet up onto the footstool and laid her head back against the smooth leather. The chair enveloped her into a quickly warming embrace and she found herself relaxing immediately.

An answering sigh from the other chair made her tilt her head towards Ruth. Her chair seemed to have swallowed her up too, the shock of white hair showing against the dark leather. Her eye was closed and her pale face seemed even more wan than usual. The clink of a tray warned them of Joe’s approach and Penelope tried to sit up a little straighter only to find herself caught fast in the depths of the chair.

“Rose hips and hibiscus flower tonight, Ruth. You need more vitamin C in your diet.” Joe explained while setting down the tray between them and pouring each of them a cup of steaming tea.

“Thank you, Joe. It smells delicious and you’re probably right.” Ruth sat up a little and accepted her cup. “We’ll bring the tray back with us when we finish star gazing.”

He bowed to her and shot Penelope a piercing glance that seemed both a warning and a plea. Don’t hurt her, it seemed to say. And find out what is wrong, it pleaded. She nodded her head in acknowledgment and took her first sip of tea. It tasted of citrus and sweet flower. The silence was oddly companionable and she let it fill her with quiet warmth. She and her husband used to sit like this on the patio behind the house down in Tucson while he was stationed there. Edward had just been born and his cradle sat between them so they could take turns rocking him.

“The sacred silence, Queen Terana called it. A moment when you simply exist, not doing or thinking just alive in that space of time.” Ruth’s voice was contemplative.

“Something’s bothering you. Can you share it?” Penelope didn’t know where the question had come from but somehow she’d slipped into nurse mode.

“Dakota called me ‘Shima’ today. Do you know what that means?” Ruth took another sip of tea while her eye watched the stars above them. “It means ‘grandmother’. I’ve never felt old before. But for some reason that made me feel my age and more.”

Penelope thought about that. “How old are you?”

“Forty-five, soon to be forty-six. My birthday and Seth’s are about a week apart. We’re both born under the sign of the Bull, Taurus.” 

“Oh, I didn’t realize.” Penelope had thought she was in her fifties for some reason. “It’s probably just your white hair.”

“No, she sees clearly is all. I feel ancient. The weight of six thousand years sometimes feels too heavy.” Ruth cradled her cup between her hands and kept on speaking. "I only ever once had children and that was in China with Toby and Mei Ling. Chang was a good man but it was an arranged marriage as they all were back then. All my love went to those two little boys. Sometimes, my arms ache to hold them again, to feel the sweet weight of their heads against my shoulder and their solid warmth in my lap. I’m afraid it’s too dangerous for me to even touch a child now.”

“Is there no way you can protect against the energy drain? Wearing gloves perhaps?” Penelope ventured a suggestion. It was only two weeks since she’d been let into the circle of people who knew about Ruth’s healing abilities and what fueled them.

“I’ve tried it all. The Goddess didn’t leave me an owner’s manual and I was only an apprentice priestess in Atlantis. I remember most of the teachings on healing but I guess I hadn’t gotten that far when I fought the Ikiiri the first time. And I haven’t spoken with Her in months. I try not to pester her with my little problems. She has a whole world to take care of and I’m just one of her children.” Ruth sat up and reached for the teapot. 

This time, Penelope found the energy to sit up also and hold out her cup for more tea. Part of her pondered the matter-of-fact way that Ruth spoke of her deity while the rest of her brain tried to come to grips with the problem. “But why now are you feeling so old? You’ve had time to come to grips with your past lives. Something personal must have happened to make you feel this way.” She thought over Ruth’s earlier words. Arranged marriages . . . a good man . . . all my love . . . children. She was beginning to see a pattern. 

Perhaps Running Elk was right and she had fallen in love. But how could she bring it up without embarrassing them both? A glimmer of an idea fluttered through her mind and she decided to take a chance.

“I thought I was past all that nonsense now that I’m in my seventies. Enjoying the give and take of debate, feeling that little shiver of need when someone you like looks at you with sultry eyes and certainly not falling in love again.” She fixed her eyes on the steam drifting up from her cup.

“You and Running Elk make a very nice couple.” Ruth’s voice had a smile in it.

“I’m not too old, do you think?” She risked a look over at the other woman.

“Love doesn’t have an age limit. It’s a blessing that can come at any moment. I was rather hoping your Peter and Jane might come back together again. They’re both so vibrant and their friendship is such a good base for love.” Her voice was wistful again. 

“I can’t say I didn’t hope so too but I think they grew too far apart to come back together again as anything but friends. That David she works for seems to be half in love and half incredulous she might love him back.” Her eyes searched for Ruth’s reaction and the rueful smile seemed to say it all.

“Yes, Jane is gently encouraging him to meet her halfway but I know exactly how he feels. You’d think I should know better. I had my shot at love years ago and now it’s years too late.” Ruth shook her head. “Is that what you wanted to know, Penelope? Whether or not I am too distracted by my emotions to protect the base?”

Penelope blushed again. “Something like that, Ruth. You have a lot of people worried about you and depending on you to keep them alive. To keep all of us headed in the right direction.”

“The path is clear, Penelope. And I trust the Council to keep all of you safe. The Goddess wants you to succeed.”

“And what about you? What do you want?” Penelope dared to bluntly ask.

“You and Father Adam ask the same questions. Thankfully, the seal of the confessional keeps him silent.” Ruth leaned her head back against the chair. “What do I want? World peace . . . a better life for all my children . . . someone to hold me and tell me it will all be all right.”

“Big dreams, Ruth. World peace will come when we grow up and leave the games of war behind. When we put children and love ahead of power, then the better life will come. And is the last so very impossible?”

“Yes, it is completely out of the question. He’s too young and too beautiful and headed straight towards his most cherished dream. I’d just embarrass him with my feelings. The most he might feel would be gratitude and that’s a poor substitute for love.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I try not to even think about him except as a friend. I try not to . . . dream.”

Penelope didn’t know what to say to her while her mind sorted through all the possible men in Moon Base. It didn’t sound like it was Father Adam. “He’s already taken then?”

Ruth scrubbed her face with her free hand. “No, it’s not Sam or Seth or Wolf. It’s just someone very inappropriate. Penelope, I’d appreciate it if you would keep this to yourself.”

“Running Elk’s the one who asked me if you might be fighting for a lover.”

Ruth snorted. “I should have known that wily old man would suss me out. It doesn’t really matter. We’ll be through the worst of the threat soon. Jamie is working on some of the leads Martin developed about the people who seem to have targeted us. Hopefully, we’ll be able to stop them before they can target us again.”

Penelope took the change of topic graciously but silently determined she would keep watch to see who Ruth interacted with in the coming days.

*************** 

Six days later, she found herself a part of the welcoming committee for some scientists who were joining them. Sam and Dr. Reinbeau were by her side to welcome Dr. John Soval and his family. They needed another radiation specialist and he was reputed to be the best. She just hoped that he, his wife and their two children wouldn’t miss the warmth of their native Australia.

Checking the list on the computer screen, she smiled at Dr. Longer who was practically vibrating in wait for the earthquake expert, Dr. Quentin and his family. They’d been experiencing little quakes since they’d arrived and with only one geologist on staff, he’d been run ragged. 

All in all, they were expecting nine new souls to join them. When she turned back to the air lock door, she spotted Ruth for the first time. She was always there to greet the new arrivals and welcome them to Moon Base. Remembering her first sight of the small woman, she stood back to let her go ahead. For some reason, neither Joe nor Father Adam was at her side and that sent a shiver of unease down her spine.

The door opened slowly and Ruth was there to shake hands with the two children who had raced ahead of their parents. The greetings were exchanged amid laughter and Dr. Soval proved to be a jovial Santa Claus clone with his charming wife Elizabeth and his two freckled sons Denis and Paul. They left for the meeting hall and the next family came into the corridor. The sense of unease was back and Penelope wandered at Ruth’s touching of the new arrivals.

Ruth shook hands with dark haired Dr. Quentin, holding on to his hand between both of hers and speaking quietly. Whatever she’d asked seemed to satisfy her and her smile was calm as she passed him on to Dr. Longer. Bending down, she solemnly shook hands with eight year old Justin Quentin while brushing back a lock of hair on his forehead. Then dropping to one knee, she held out her hand to shy five year old Naomi who gave her a long hug instead. 

Penelope was waiting for Mrs. Quentin to disembark so she could shepherd her and the baby to their quarters. She waited patiently while Naomi and Ruth put their heads together for a whispered conversation. Then Ruth was standing up and introducing Penelope to the smiling child. They had their own little talk and when next she looked up, Ruth was holding the fussing baby to one shoulder, patting the tiny back with an experienced hand while talking calmly to his mother.

Jennifer Quentin was smiling and shaking her head to some question Ruth was asking. Loosening her right hand, Ruth held it out to the tall willowy woman with the sweet smile. Their clasp lasted a long moment then Ruth handed back baby Aaron. She stepped aside and waved them on towards Penelope who was holding hands with small Naomi and telling her about Dakota and the other children she’d be playing with.

They had started towards the meeting hall, all of them chattering away when she saw Sam pause and look back towards the airlock. At that moment, the klaxon sounded loudly overhead and Penelope swung Naomi up into her arms and headed for the family quarters. Calling to Jennifer to follow her, she looked back in time to see her latest vision come true.

Ruth lay in a crumpled heap on the ground with Sam racing back to try and reach her before the doors automatically closed her in the airlock. He reached her just as the doors shut them from her sight. And then the alarm went quiet. Immediately, she hugged young Naomi close and began to pray with all her heart that Ruth would survive this latest attack.

Whatever it was.

*********************


	18. Requiem

Peter was following his checklist and waiting for the word that the airlock was free of his passengers so he could move the ship to its berth two spokes over. Jane hung over his shoulder and watched him closely. They’d been in a companionable silence since they landed and he finally felt comfortable with their new relationship.

“So, we got here before dinner. What do you and David have planned for this evening?” He asked after he finished.

She groaned and hit his arm. “Real subtle, Peter. Why don’t you just come out and ask if we’re dating?”

“Okay, are you dating?” He grinned up at her.

“Kind of. He’s got this hang-up about our ages.” She grimaced.

“Not to mention, he’s in your direct chain of command . . . in a civilian kind of way.”

She laughed out loud and ruffled his hair. “I’m not as worried about that as I am he’s dragging his feet because he thinks I’m too young for him. I’m way past taking age as anything but a statistic. We both have one and neither of us is underage. It’s chivalrous nonsense but . . . kind of sweet in a way.”

“Oh-oh, sweet, the kiss of death.” He exaggerated and ducked her mock blow.

“You are a grownup juvenile delinquent, did you know that?” She turned as if she heard something, just seconds before the alarm began to ring.

“Oh no, not another one.” Peter’s hand went for the door button but he hesitated.

“Pete! Go now.” Sam’s voice was hoarse and distant but audible. “Head for Earth.”

“Go back and see what’s wrong, Jane.” Peter snapped out the order and prepared to lift off. She ran to the back while he was flipping switches to bring the engines back to full power from their idle speed.

“Close the door and take off. Now!” Again, Sam’s voice came to him as if muffled but he listened to the urgency in it and obeyed.

Backing out of the dock, he moved them off the Moon smoothly. Flying them out into space he called back. “Sam, what’s wrong? Where on Earth do you need to go?”

Silence answered him for a long moment then the intercom switched his brother’s voice to him. “Oh God, Peter, she’s not breathing. Just get us down. Now!”

“Who’s not breathing?” Peter felt himself tighten into controlled panic while he obeyed his brother’s order.

“Ruth.” Jane’s voice had a sob in it.

“Peter, radio back to the base and have Dr. Freeman check your recent passengers. I think they’re all right . . . now.” Sam’s voice faltered. “Tell him to check for plague. Jane, take a break from compressions and breathe for her.”

Peter blocked out the sounds of CPR going on behind him and radioed back to Moon Base while coaxing the maximum speed from the converted Ikiiri cruiser. Solantha had trained him well and he knew just what he could and couldn’t do to increase her speed. Seth’s voice on the radio was tightly controlled and he accepted the news of Ruth’s collapse quietly. Wishing them God-speed, he signed off.

Releasing the safeties, he put the ship into an all out run for Earth. The onboard computer started giving him minute by minute updates of how much stress the ship was taking but until she told him the ship was going to blow up, he intended to keep pushing the limits. The trip normally took an hour and a half but he and Joshua had shaved that to just under an hour. Now, he was going to see if he could set a new record. But all the while he flew, he kept praying over and over. “Don’t take her now. Please don’t take her now.”

Hitting the outer atmosphere of Earth, he dove through the increasing clouds, ignoring the warning beeps that told him he was max-stressing the ship’s skin. They hadn’t hit the red range yet so he ignored them and searched frantically for a spot to put them down. It had to be away from people but near the ocean. He’d heard about Ruth’s first trip down to recharge from Solantha. The Ikiiri pilot had enjoyed playing with the dolphins and Peter had been a little jealous at missing out on the adventure.

At this speed and rate of descent, they were going to end up in Africa on the western coast. The onboard ship’s computer calculated their landing and flashed a map of Senegal onto the screen. They were going to touch down about one hundred miles north of the capitol Dakar right on the coast. According to the computer, there was nothing there but dust, lizards, sand and yet more sand. It was the dry season and the coast should be nice and empty of life.

The proximity alarm went off and he slipped under a jet at twenty thousand feet. Taking deep breaths he calmed his wildly beating heart and hoped he hadn’t given the crew a collective heart attack. Setting the angle a little steeper, he dove for the Senegalese coast while shouting a warning to Sam and Jane to hold on. Ahead of them and through the thick glass a brilliant flash of blue light exploded into being, acting as a beacon to show him the way.

Taking a chance, he headed the ship straight for it. “This had better be you, Ma’am. Please don’t let her die.”

Then they were down. He parked the ship, setting the engines to idle and opening the outer door for his brother. It had never been so hard to discipline himself into finishing his post-flight checks. But they would need the transportation . . . eventually. He flipped the last switch and turned it over to the onboard computer to set the security before racing out the open door and into the blast furnace of sun heated air

He didn’t have far to go. Sam and Jane were hunched over Ruth on the beach, half in and half out of the waves that lapped the sand. They’d removed her clothes so all of her was touching the ground and even heaped sand over her legs but they were still doing CPR. When he got to them, he gulped hard and tried to look beyond the lumpy swelling that disfigured the body whose skin was striped with scars.

“Sam, what happened?” He crouched by her side. “Janey, let me breathe for her now.”

His brother’s face was a mask of grief but his hands kept up the compressions automatically while Janey sat back on the sand and wiped her eyes. “She knew, damn it. She knew this was coming but she didn’t tell us. Breathe.”

Peter obeyed instantly, tilting her head while pinching her nose and puffing two quick breaths into her misshapen mouth. “The swelling is plague related?”

“Plague is caused by bacteria called Yersinia pestis and usually can only infect someone bitten by a rat or a flea who lives on a rat. It attacks the lymph nodes. Breathe. It looks like it went septicemic in a heartbeat. She must have pulled it from them and I’m betting it was the Quentins. Breathe. They mentioned the shots the clinic gave all of them yesterday. Including the baby.” He watched Peter breathe for her again and began another set of compressions. “This is keeping her alive but I don’t have anything for a cure. Early stages can be treated with antibiotics but she’s gone from none to late stage in a matter of minutes. Breathe. Damn it, we don’t know how she heals or how to purge this from her system. I was hoping the sand would replace the bad energy with good energy but she still doesn’t have a pulse.”

“Guys, we have visitors.” Jane’s voice shook and Peter looked up to see tall natives dressed in flowing white robes surround them in a half circle.

He breathed for her again and watched the circle split to let an elderly woman through. She looked ancient, her hair white against a chocolate skin and her eyes filmed over in sharp contrast to the youngster who led her by the hand. The little boy had sparkling brown eyes beneath tightly curled black hair. They both wore flowing white cotton robes that whispered against the sand as he led her to them.

“Good day, children. We have been waiting. I dreamed you last night.” Her voice was soothing with a faint British accent and Peter felt himself begin to relax. Then his eyes caught a glimpse of the stone that hung about her neck.

“The blue stone.” He blurted out before he could stop himself.

The boy led her to Ruth’s head and her hand came out and touched his hair. She hissed something he didn’t understand and he saw the little boy move back to the circle of his elders. “So, we dream of each other. What will you give for her life, children?”

Peter looked at Sam then Jane and saw they were all at a loss for words. “What do you need?”

Her laugh was more of a cackle than a chuckle. “Ha, little ones. You think to bargain? How if I guess what is most precious to you and go from there? Hm-m-m?”

Peter swallowed hard and felt her blind eyes look deep within him, zeroing straight to his greatest fear. All his life, he’d been afraid of losing his eyesight and being unable to fly. He felt her pluck the fear from his mind and hold it. When she turned to Sam, he knew the fear she would find there. His little brother had always feared losing the use of his hands. He was a tactile person who used his hands to help in diagnosis. He’d always feared the crippling arthritis that had killed Great-aunt Rebecca Hamilton.

Jane gasped when it was her turn and Peter felt her grip his shoulder tightly. The tears in her eyes told him her fear had been taken as well. The old woman hummed to herself and with a sigh bent to touch Ruth’s forehead. The infection had gotten worse in the last few minutes, her body swelling to twice its normal size. It reminded him of a corpse he’d seen in Guatemala the year before. It had washed downstream during the floods but some of the local wildlife had been nibbling on it and he’d lost his lunch when they’d pulled it from the floodwaters.

“Precious indeed, children. I only require one of them. Who will pay the price for this one’s life? Hm-m-m?”

Sam’s voice beat Peter’s by a breath. “Take what you need.” “Take mine.”

“No, I give you mine. It was a dream and worth nothing compared to her life.” Jane’s voice wavered slightly when she offered up herself.

“Hm-m-m, hard to choose it is. Hands, sight, babies, all very precious and hard to lose. What is her wish, do you think?”

“She wouldn’t accept any of them and she’ll be mad as hell when she comes to.” Sam was still compressing the bloated chest beneath his hands and Peter was still breathing in two breaths for every five compressions. “But it will be worth it.”

The old woman touched Sam’s hair and shook her head. Then she reached up to hold Jane’s chin in her wrinkled hand. A moment later and she caressed his face with fingers that felt a little like claws. He gritted his teeth and bore the examination.

“She is starting on the last path. We have little time. I think I would like a pair of pretty blue eyes to go with my stone. Are you sure, this one is worth them?” She spoke briskly, removing the stone from around her neck and holding it over Ruth’s body where it began to glow with an eerie blue light.

Sam and Jane were both exclaiming but Peter paid them no heed, his gaze focused on the clouded eyes of the blind woman. The world dropped away and he found himself held within a blazing blue sun illuminating everything around him. A small figure was slowly walking away from them and his heart ached at the sight of Ruth whole and unscarred, her head held high and a slight smile on her face as she faced the light.

Was the price too high to pay for a woman he hadn’t even met four months before? For a woman who’d given him the chance to fly among the stars for such a brief time? For the person who had never asked for anything for herself? Who had always put others first and waited to die so that he and his family could live?

He realized in that instant that he couldn’t let her go. Not now, maybe not ever. “Take them.”

And the light blazed bluer and brighter until he had to close his eyes. Then the light was gone and when he opened them, all he saw was darkness. 

“It is done. Welcome back, little one.” The crooning voice accompanied the sounds of someone coughing.

“Don’t try to move yet, Ruth.” Sam’s voice had tears in it and Peter tilted his head to listen more closely.

He had to start someplace in compensating for the loss of his sight and it might as well be his hearing. Behind him, he could hear Jane breathing and what sounded like sniffling. She was probably crying too. But more importantly, he could hear Ruth’s breaths. Great shuddering breaths that were probably shaking her whole body, he guessed.

“How?” The gasping voice sounded congested and the cough that followed was hoarse. A scritch of sand and the rustle of clothing told him that Sam was probably helping her to sit up so she could breathe better.

“Why did you come back, little one?” The old woman’s voice sounded smoother, not so quavering.

“Someone . . . called.”

The old woman hummed. “Hm-m-m, yes, indeed he did. But why do you heed such a call when Her light welcomed you home?”

Ruth sighed. “I will always come when he calls.”

“Heart calls to heart.” She cackled again. “Always and forever will you heed that summons.”

Suddenly, Peter wished desperately that he could see Ruth’s face. Heart to heart – what did it mean to Ruth? Was she looking at him in pity or gratitude? Or just maybe something more? Something like the love he’d begun to suspect he felt? And just what was it about the old woman’s voice that teased his memory? The soft touch to his face brought him back to the darkness.

“Oh, my Peter, what have you done?” Her voice was anguished but her hand was the right size again without a trace of swelling and the skin was warm.

“What I had to do to bring you back.” His voice wasn’t as strong as he wished but he didn’t think clearing his throat would help. Bringing up his own hand to cover hers, he moved just far enough to press his lips into her palm.

“I’m not worth your dream, Peter.” 

“Dreams change. Sometimes you grow up and find your path taking a turn you could never have imagined. I’ll . . . need some help on this one.” He felt as if he were on an elevator free-falling down a shaft, frightened and alone. The dizziness grew and he could feel the trembling deep inside as if it had a life of its own.

“You will have it, my Peter. You are not alone and as long as I live you will never be.” Her voice was fierce and he felt her arms slide around his shoulders while she rocked him back and forth gently, grounding him and soothing away the pain.

She smelled of sand and salt water but underlying that scent was the faint odor of lilies of the valley he’d smelled on her before. He tried not to give in to his fear but he was just now realizing that he would not be flying them back to the Moon. In fact, he wouldn’t be doing much of anything until he could get a handle on this . . . disability.

“Hm-m-m, such pretty blue eyes, little one. But they don’t match my stone so I suppose I must give them back.” The voice was no longer old or wavering but strong and sure. “My knight must be able to see what is coming, after all.”

And the darkness gave way to light between one blink and the next. Peter was looking straight into Ruth’s gaze when it happened so the first thing he saw was her face and the love she hadn’t hidden from his blindness. He ignored the others voices and focused on Ruth, his other hand coming up to cup her face. Using his thumb, he brushed away the tears on her cheek.

“Peter.” Her voice trembled.

“Sh-h-h, it’s all right. I know we’ve got a lot of things to talk about but you should know one thing won’t change. Whether I can see or not and whether you believe it or not, I love you. Through good and bad, I’ll be right there with you.”

“My Peter, you are without a doubt the blessing I never thought to have. And I do love you but . . .”

He didn’t want to hear the objections right now so he leaned forward and kissed her. Her lips were soft and he brushed his over them gently, afraid to press any harder in case the swelling had left her sore. Her breath caught and he hesitated a moment than pressed again, her lips parting beneath his. She tasted sweet and he wondered vaguely what kind of tea she’d been drinking. 

It had been so long since he’d kissed someone for whom he really felt something; this had a euphoric air to it. He felt giddy and knew he wanted more than just this but not on an unknown beach in front of his brother and former fiancée. Not to mention the shaman/goddess who’d just scared him out of a year’s growth.

“I really do good work, if I do say so myself.” The soprano voice from over his shoulder sounded extremely smug.

Peter and Ruth broke apart slowly, their eyes never leaving the other. Ruth’s fingers stroked his cheek and the happiness in her face made her look ten years younger. “Mother, you have a lot to answer for. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

“You’re welcome, daughter. And now, you have yet another reason to not go it alone.” Her tones were mildly scolding.

“I’ll make sure of that, Ma’am.” Peter brushed some sand off Ruth’s throat, pausing for a moment to feel the pulse that fluttered under his fingers. “Why the blindness?”

“Each step forward comes at a price, my knight. So many of my children are mentally and emotionally blind to what they think or feel. True seeing can be absolutely terrifying.” She sighed. “Even for the gods.” That statement brought both their gazes up to her. She was still black with white hair but now she stood tall and her brown eyes sparkled down at them. 

“How very true, my lady.” Sam was sitting on Ruth’s other side with Jane leaning on his shoulder. “We’re still under a threat on Moon Base and we need a better way to help Ruth regain her energy. Especially as we move further out into the solar system.”

“Oh, she won’t be the only healer you have now that the ability has been reawakened in humanity. And this tribe will help when they become a part of your community. They’re Malinke of the Mandingo tribe. There’s forty-three of them and their destiny is not here.” She stretched forth her hand and the small boy ran up to hold it, his smile stretching from ear to ear. “This is Mustapha and he is already capable of the same kind of healing that Ruth does.”

He nodded vigorously and patted Ruth’s head gently, his speech a liquid stream of syllables that none of them understood. Peter’s hand went to his throat and he realized that the translator he usually wore was missing. For some reason, he hadn’t put it on this morning and now he was regretting it.

“They are camped just under a mile from here and they’ll be ready for pickup in three days time. That should give you time to prepare for them.” The Goddess tilted her head and looked straight into Peter’s eyes. “I think there is time for a short ceremony before we separate. Hm-m-m?”

He blushed and wondered if she’d read his mind. “Ruth, I know this is rushing things a bit but I’d feel a lot better if we take our vows here and now. I love you and I want the chance to prove it.”

“There is no need, Peter.” Her gaze was wistful. “Your mother and father are going to absolutely hate this.”

“I’m not marrying my parents. I’m marrying you. If you’ll have me?” He summoned the patented Hamilton-pout which hadn’t failed him since puberty hit. Letting his mouth droop and his chin quiver with just a hint of blinking away tears, he looked deep into her eyes and wished very, very hard for her consent.

“Oh, my Peter, of course I’ll have you. Are you sure?” She bit her lip.

“Yes.” He beamed at her and stood up, bringing her up with him. That took a bit of doing since she was still half buried in the sand.

Sam was laughing at them while Jane tried to gather the clothes they’d torn off her earlier. The Goddess smiled and gestured to one of the Malinke who brought over a white robe like they were wearing, only this one was embroidered with gold thread all around the neckline. Ruth put it on gratefully and thanked the woman with her biggest smile.

“Sam and Jane, you shall be our witnesses. There is no religion on Earth who truly invokes me anymore save for the Wiccans so we’ll use a form of their hand-fasting.” She drew forth a golden cord and gestured Peter and Ruth to bring up their clasped hands. Wrapping the cord around their wrists, she smiled. “Ruth, my dearest daughter, do you chose this man to love and cherish through this life and beyond?”

Her eye looked up at him and he felt humble at the look of awe on her face. “I do, Mother. Through whatever comes, I will love and care for him always.”

“Peter, my knight, will you love and cherish my daughter through this life and for whatever lives you may have together?”

“I do, My Lady. With all my heart and soul, I will love and care for her always.”

“Then you both have my blessing and may the love you bear each other never fail.” She closed her hands over and under theirs and with a flash of light, the golden cord disappeared and matching rings appeared on their fingers. “Just a little outward token to tell the others of your commitment. But just to be on the safe side, I’d have that darling Father Adam marry you again so all those dreary legal forms are taken care of.”

But even though Peter heard the words, he wasn’t paying any attention because now he had the right to kiss Ruth the way he’d wanted to. Her arms were around his neck and he gathered her as close as he could while exploring the warm depths of her mouth. She was an addicting blend of spices and he knew that it would be a very long time before he’d become accustomed to her intoxicating taste.

“PETER!” Sam’s voice finally got through the glowing haze he felt surrounding them. “Thank you. Jane and I are going back to the ship to call Moon Base and let them know we’re all right. Ruth is still looking a little pale and she could probably use a swim   
to finish off the healing. Both of you could stand a dip. We’ll announce ourselves before we come back. All right?”

Peter blushed and realized he felt a little shy about getting naked in front of Ruth. But she was kissing Sam’s cheek and hugging Jane while she whispered her thanks to them both. The Goddess got her own hug and when she turned to him, he gingerly hugged her as well.

“Go easy on the Hamilton-pout, my knight.” She whispered in his ear. “Only use it for the really big things. You wouldn’t want to wear it out, hm-m-m?”

And with a wink, she took Mustapha by the hand and led him back to the others who had waited so patiently. Within the space of five minutes, they were alone under the bright sun on the white sandy beach. He was at a loss for words and she seemed to understand, leaning up and kissing the dimple in his chin.

“A swim would be wonderful, my Peter. Join me?” She stepped back and dropped the woven robe to the sand before reaching up and sliding his flight suit zipper slowly down.

He helped her finish undressing him and finally stood before her naked. The look of wonder in her eyes was a heady reminder they were married now. “I think we should get in the water before I pounce on you and shock Sam and Jane.”

Her chuckle seemed to break the spell they were under and she held out her hand for his. “A swim for now, shocking the others comes later.”

Peter laughed out loud and pulled her into the surf, wading down the shallow underwater slope until they were deep enough to swim. She was like a white haired seal, all sleek lines and graceful curves. He felt clumsy next to her but she didn’t seem to mind. 

A chattering sound broke through the sound of the surf and he tread water while he tried to see what could have made that noise. A blunt snout popped up between Ruth and him, then another and yet another until they were surrounded by an entire pod of dolphins. They all seemed to have something to tell Ruth and she laughed out loud while they came and went below the surface.

“They want to know where Solantha is.” She chortled and rubbed the nose of the one closest to her. “I told him he was busy but I’d brought you instead. Now this one wants to know if we’re going to mate each other here.”

“Not enough time for the mating I’m planning. When we come together, there won’t be any witnesses. Although I have to admit that I’ve missed water more than I thought I would.” Peter carefully slid a hand along the hide of one of the sea mammals and marveled at the satin smooth skin.

“Oh that sounds promising, my Peter.” She reached out a hand to him and they held hands while the dolphins danced around them. “I too look forward to our mating.”

Peter smiled and closed his eyes for the sheer pleasure of opening them again to see the sunlight sparkling on the drops in her hair. “I love you, Ruth Hamilton. Together we will move our people right out to the stars. But later . . . right now all I want to do is be with you. The rest of the world can wait for us.”

********************


End file.
